Limitless
by badtzumaru
Summary: She vowed to lay down her life for her people and her planet, all for the elusive concept of freedom. Then Voltron manifested before their eyes, changing the tide. But the casualties of war are always unpredictable, the price of freedom always steep. [CLOSED; see Limitless v2 for updates]
1. Fleogas

AN: Hey all! This is my first story here that I've had the guts to put up, so I appreciate all commentary that you all have. I plan on keeping it story compliant (and staying away from AU), although this entire planet and all characters that I'm inserting are my own creation (so we're going to diverge from the story line briefly). I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

Edit 1 (12/6/17): I've returned to beef up some sections and comb through some of the background and small details to make sure that it aligns with where I want the story to go now. Thanks so much for bearing with me on these edits!

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – Fleogas**

It had been weeks since leaving Earth, and Team Voltron had not just laughed at the odds that they faced, but had tackled and pinned them down. If any one of them had been told a few months before that they were going to be hurtling through space and using sentient robot lions to fight a massive alien regime with two different alien comrades, they would have dismissed all ideas as some sort of drug induced dream. But here they were, flying through the deepest reaches of space that scientists on earth would ogle at, a norm to their senses. They had defeated a Galra cruiser, kidnapped a ranking officer from said ranks, and were now picking his memories apart to see if they could discern any new information that would aide them in their fight.

Not to mention that they had already defeated two massive Galra monsters and saved a planet from destruction. Admittedly, both instances had been fairly close escapes with their inexperience in their lions considered, but the successes had to stand for something. Against further odds, they had begun bonding with their lions and become more of a team than any of them would have expected. They had formed Voltron; it was amusing to consider that a couple weeks before, they had actually tried stacking on top of one another in order to form the massive robot.

They were learning, and they were itching to find a new objective.

"Anything good yet, Pidge?"

The group had been hovering over their tech genius for nearly a varga, waiting for results from the brightly glowing screen as she quickly typed away. Each member wore different degrees of interest on their face as impatience began to mount. Shiro in particular watched Pidge's movements on the screen intently, ever the strategist and planner. Their situation was sensitive, with a lack of formal forces behind them and a monstrous empire around them that was undoubtedly gunning for the team's lives. If anything was a constant, no matter what bizarre situation any of them were thrown into, the fourth dimension governed their lives no matter what unit of measurement was used to record. Time may or may not be on their side; it was important to utilize every moment.

Pidge paused briefly to push her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, her voice neither accusing nor the most encouraging. "We were only able to salvage bits and pieces." Shiro winced, the predicament mostly his fault due to the sudden ejection of Sendak's pod from their ship, what with the virus that had infected the systems.

"We need something to work with." Keith sighed, standing up straighter and rolled his shoulders, the most impatient out of the group. Irritation began to crease between his brows at the lack of immediate results. "Right now, we don't even have a decent map of the empire."

The blue paladin across from him scoffed, crossing his arms. "Who needs a map? After ten thousand years of conquering, I could probably fire my bayard at like, any random point in space and hit a Galra ship."

Placing a hand under his chin, Shiro mused half to himself, half under his breath. Did it honestly matter yet if they had a map? He was certain that they would find a map eventually, but they needed to take some smaller actions before then. "If we could just find some troop locations, or supply routes, small targets we could hit-and-run, then we could start to free planets one by one."

"Boooring." Lance arched his back, looking at Shiro upside down from his position. "I want the big kaboom."

"Zarkon's been building his empire for ten thousand years. We're not going to tear it down overnight with five inexperienced pilots and one support ship. Hitting him where he lives would be a huge mistake."

"Okay. I've cross-referenced Sendak's memories with the info I got from the downed ship back on Arus." Lance righted his posture as the entire group edged slightly closer to the screen, as though they were trying to unscramble the information on the screen by themselves, hoping for some good news. It was heartening to hear that the group was finally getting somewhere with the data after waiting, eager ears waiting to hear what they had to work with. "Most of it was a garbled mess, but two things kept repeating. Something called a 'Universal Station,' and the phrase 'confirmed wings.'"

Hunk popped his head closer to the screen from his position on the ground, blocking nearly everyone's view. His attention, like most of the group, focused toward Pidge's first statement, the most concerning and easy to interpret. "Universal station? Like, the kind of stations that controls the entire universe?"

Pushing the yellow paladin's head away with amusement and irritation at her obscured view, Pidge adjusted her glasses again, the light reflecting off the lenses. "Well, we are translating it from Galra, so it could also be 'galactic hub.'"

"Or 'space base.'" Lance pulled his finger guns at the group, who returned with a deadpan look at his pun. Scowling, he dug his hands into his pockets. "What?"

Shiro sighed. It was a good start, although the lack of a solid translation still left some room for error in his mind. Could Sendak really have been thinking about a home base for the Galra? The black paladin didn't know which situation he would prefer, that they had found the Galra Empire's home base location, or if they had found another secret base. Knowledge of the home and throne was only beneficial in the fact that they would be able to avoid the area until they were strong enough to take Zarkon and his multitude of fleets on. He mentally shoved the possibilities aside to consider Pidge's other finding. "And the wings?"

"Could be code for some sort of project," Coran piped his opinion from the back of the group. The idea of the Galra flying around with wings seemed nonsensical, unless it was some sort of weapons modification system, in which case could become dangerous. Fighting in three dimensional space was hard enough; the last thing they needed was another mobilized forced flying in the air with them.

Shaking her head, Pidge scrutinized a corner of the screen. "From the tone, it sounds more like some sort of term for enslaved animals, or an actual being."

"Or maybe they're like chicken wings." Careful not to obstruct Pidge's view, Hunk shifted from his spot to the left of the console, imagining a base filled with wings. "Do you think they have barbeque in space?" Even Lance seemed to appreciate the thought of the earth food, getting lost in the idea of said dish.

Shiro shook his head in amusement and slight exasperation at Hunk's antics. He could always rely on him to think about food and make light of some of the most intense situations. "Alright, so we're working with some secret base and potential enslavement."

Making note of the coordinates that Pidge had pulled up, Coran jumped over to his control panel near the front of the room. "I'm pulling up the location on your Universal station, hub, base, thing, and our other project on our screens now." The group moved from their hunched positions around Pidge to look at the screens that pulled up at the front of the castle. A split image popped up, the right side focusing in on a gigantic, empty space between three planets. The left focused on a singular planet that honed an ashy looking surface, spotted with craters of green life.

"So there's nothing on one side."

"And there's a planet?"

"Fleogas?"

The paladins shifted their focus to Allura, whose brilliant blue eyes were intensely focused on the left image. Shiro thought that he saw the most faint flashes of hope cross over blue eyes filled with disbelief. Coran seemed to be frozen in his place as well, staring at the mysterious planet that had white clouds swirling over its face. The image captivated the two Alteans, suggesting to the rest of the paladins that this was no ordinary planet.

Shiro turned to face Allura fully, his arms on his hips. "You know this planet?"

Allura turned from Pidge's station to walk closer to the bridge, slowly stepping as though a single move could wake her from the certain vision she was seeing. "They were one of our closest allies before the war. I would have thought that Zarkon would have eliminated them."

"Unless they were too valuable to lose." Keith's eyes narrowed at the idea, the team following his train of thought. "They could have become enslaved like the Balmerans."

"Then there's a chance they might be alive." Crossing his arms, Shiro's voice called the attention of the two Alteans. "Keith is right. If the translation points to enslavement, maybe they're being subdued for some reason."

Lance crossed his arms in confusion, something not seeming to add up in his brain between the coordinates and the translation that Pidge was working with. "So what's with this translation about the wings?"

Coran perked up, his brain making a connection. "Of course, it makes sense! The Fleogans are an ancient race, where their legendary predecessors were apparently gifted wings from their gods."

Hunk looked slightly disappointed, if only for the loss of his earthen food fantasy. "So it's not like chicken wings?"

"Well, considering that I don't know what this chicken of yours looks like, maybe. But!" Coran's finger pointed up as though drawing a new conjecture, his energy at the familiar planet obviously picking him up, "They were large enough to be able to fly, like birds!"

Lance's attention was drawn back to the excitement behind Coran's description. "Woah, that's pretty neat. So they're like bird people?"

The royal advisor's hands returned to their panel, rapidly typing away as he distractedly began to answer Lance's question. "Well, they actually look more like earthlings, now that I think about it. Just massive wings attached to their backs. Or sometimes small! Bright colors too. Or not. Ah, here we are!"

Projecting a new image to the front of the room, the team marveled at the individuals before them. King Alfor stood at the center, along with a few other Alteans and other magnificently winged creatures, understood to be the Fleogans. Coran had been right in his descriptions, although to see the colorful sight was another thing; wings of creams, browns, blacks, and even blue and green were vibrantly spread behind one another, layered in a Technicolor blanket backdrop. Their bodies, however, looked fairly humanoid in appearance with a range of skin tones from olive to a deep chestnut complimenting the array of colorful wings. It was a happy moment, the bodies staged in a formal manner but faces laughing without restraint, some figures even leaning onto others as though some fascinating and hilarious inside joke had been muttered among the happy group before the shot was snapped.

"The Fleogans were valued mechanics and inventors," Coran continued, a wistful, nostalgic, quality in his voice. "This team actually helped King Alfor in the shaping of Voltron. They were quite close to us."

Allura's eyes narrowed in determination, hands grasping for the castle controls. "If they're still alive, we must rescue that planet. They were trusted allies; who knows what Zarkon might have done to them." The castle reacted, beginning its slow and steady navigation toward the new destination. It had been settled in the moment that Allura had grabbed the controls, and while there had been little discussion, no one seemed to argue their destination choice. The four standing paladins moved to their consoles to remain on standby on their new journey. Only Pidge glanced back at her station briefly, contemplating the information she had gleaned.

"So what about that other 'galactic hub' thing?"

If Allura was about to defend her immediate turn toward Fleogas, Shiro beat her to the punch. "We investigate that later. If there's a planet we can strike now to gain some allies, it's worth looking into first."

Coran nodded from his station, eyes still glued to the monitors at the front of the castle. "To Fleogas, then."

"Let's hope they're alive." While the princess' statement was particularly ardent in her heart, each paladin earnestly wished for a positive outcome to this discovery. The discovery of such an ancient and close ally of the Alteans was monumental. Allura would never admit it out loud to the paladins, but after the loss of her father's memory forever, it would be nearly impossible to bear another loss of such an important part of her history.

Strategically, the move made sense, but if any of them looked beyond the surface, they all knew that this trip was getting personal.

* * *

After several years as an engineer, technician, and elite warrior, Almira Eos had thought that she had seen it all. She herself had a hand in rewiring old Galra fighter pilots to be repurposed for her own people, had molded outdated Fleogan warships into stylish, effective, and efficient weapons of destruction. She had witnessed the wars that raged in the Technology Brigade over the hundreds of communication lines that covered the planet, hacking into Galra lines while preserving and encrypting their own. Medical technology could bring people back from near death, could create prosthetics visually astounding and cool to the touch. She had handed men their dignity after knocking them breathless into the ground, had demolished gender expectations of her society, had climbed to the top of her own skill and willpower and fought not only for her own dignity, but for the dignity of her people.

She was relatively young, but she had seen and experienced it all; the safety of the citizen within the walls, and the exhilaration of fighting for her life on the front lines. It was therefore nearly no surprise when scouts had sounded an alarm, declaring that five lion robots were attacking the main Galra base along the northern mountains.

Nearly.

"Robot lions?"

A half-grunt, half-chuckle escaped into their line of communication from the large, elder, man next to her as they flew through the cavernous tunnel. Their wings cut through the damp air, the younger woman taking the lead to exert more energy while the elder glided on the path of the least wind resistance. Faces were saved from the whipping air by a black helmet that fully encased their heads, not only providing tactical insight but also a visual and audio line of communication between the two. "It's a sure sign of the end of times, isn't it?"

She shook her head in amusement, wings beating steadily and occasionally in order to maximize speed and energy. Certainly she imagined that someone was losing their mind on their patrol from one of the smaller caverns when they first received the report. If she had to admit it, it would have been almost fun to entertain and eventually admonish the call. But Artus, who had requested their immediate presence in the Exodius crater, had only confirmed it, and Artus knew when to call the end of a joke. "I wouldn't doubt it."

A small image of a graying man's face displayed in the bottom left corner of her helmet, gray eyes twinkling at her in childish excitement. For being her superior, she sometimes felt as though she was the adult in the situation, often becoming the serious captain when something particularly tickled his fancy and interest. "Perhaps they're friendly."

No amount of scoffing and exasperated looks could hide the twitch of a smile that played on her lips. "Friendly robot lions. Now I've definitely seen it all."

The tunnel that the two flew down opened into a moderately sized chamber that connected multiple paths. On one wall stood a door, a small security panel on the side to grant entrance. Touching down into the room, the commander walked to the panel and pressed his hand to the surface, the motion eliciting a small beep and hiss as the door slid open. "If they could travel through space and just decided to land on this hell-hole of a Galra controlled planet, I'd be willing to bet that anything could happen."

The sun had already set outside, and Almira was thankful for the gentle transition on her eyes from the dimly lit cave systems to the ethereal moonlight that shone down into the crater they entered. Just outside the door was a narrow pathway, barely large enough for one man to run along. Making a right outside the door, the duo continued up the path that ran along the side of the crater, moving as quietly as possible. Stealth was not an issue, but the two moved with caution and all the lightness of a predator that quietly stalked their prey from a distance out of years of practice.

Nearing the top, the path came to an abrupt end, another door pressed into the hillside being their only option. Facing the cliff wall, the commander at the front ran his hand on the smooth surface until he felt a hand-sized panel emitting a cold embrace. Pushing it in, the door quickly opened with a hiss to reveal a well disguised monitoring room inside the hillside, the contrast of the metallic interior sharp against the red stoned walls. The two slipped in quickly, as the door hissed to a quick close behind them. Safely inside, the two tapped the sides of their helmet to remove the glass and expose their faces. Almira lingered by the door for a moment longer, golden yellow eyes glimmering in the artificial light as she scanned the room, her superior walking in a direct path toward the center console where a tall, black haired man stood. "Artus, report."

The young man looked no older than thirty, but held an air that oozed confidence and careful observation into the room, commanding the respect of the other Fleogans who manned individual stations. Upon seeing the commander and the captain, his eyes relaxed a fraction, although they still held notes of disbelief and tension. "They weren't lying, sir, if you can believe it. Five lion robots attacking the southern Galra station at Doseogwan." His eyes went back to the monitors in front of them, the newly entered duo following his line of sight. There were multiple visuals on the battle that was raging a few miles away from their location, most of them hacked signals from Galra security cameras on the base. "They haven't made much progress."

"Any idea what their goal is?" The older General reached the center where Artus stood and looked around at the multiple screens. The center of the room in front of the commanding console had the highest concentration of visuals of the skirmish; at least sixteen of the cameras were focused on the battle zone from various distances. Almira walked over to a technician monitoring the closest cameras, giving a smile as she approached the middle-aged man. Looking at the monitors with her hawk-like eyes, it was obvious that no matter how outlandish the report had seemed, it was true. The multicolored lions sped around in colorful blips, their shapes barely visible unless they paused to redirect their momentum, and Almira couldn't help but be impressed with the speed and precision used.

"Other than provoking the Galra, nothing too obvious. They're obviously not friendly with them."

"But that doesn't mean they're also friendly with us," Almira mused as she watched a red lion darting through the sky, performing intricate maneuvers to escape a number of fighter jets that were on its tail. "Regardless, it doesn't look like it's going well for them."

"I'm with Almira on that observation." Artus exchanged a nod with her, direction his observation to his superior. "They're not faring well, and there's no signs of a back up for them. Garen," he lowered his voice, "they need help."

"It would be suicide to launch an attack so quickly and without planning." The general seemed to ignore a direct answer, instead turned his attention back to Almira. "What's the closest crater, Atlas or Urudu?"

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly as she began to ascertain her commander's line of thought. There was potential that they would be able to send in fighter pilots, but it definitely wasn't a preferable situation, as they were unprepared for the arrival of such strange guests. If they were to assist these lions, then it might be more effective to send in the Warpers or Wind Benders, who would be able to use their skillsets from a distance. "Urudu would be the best," she finally answered. "It's smaller and more narrow, but Commander Jove and some of the Warpers should be in the area. They're closer than we are."

Garen nodded, turning to a technician on the other side of the room. "Patch me through to the command at Urudu. See if you can get the attention of any leadership in the area. Alert them to a potential rescue of the lions if anything goes south. Artus, keep a visual. Almira," he paused, beckoning her closer as she turned to look. The three convened at the center, while Artus busied himself with the visuals, keeping half an attention on the conversation behind him.

"I'm thinking the best line of response is to have the Warpers come in." His voice was slightly hushed, although not attempting to keep a secret.

Almira nodded. "I figured as much. They're the most capable of handling those lions. They can determine if they're friendly or not. It's probably the safest for everyone."

"We've got another hacked Galra security camera from one of the buildings," Artus projected into the room.

Garen's attention turned to the new footage, overseeing the massive charging strip for an ion cannon. Smoke and dust flew in all direction, as beams of light shot in the distance, the cameras unable to identify if it had hit its target as the visual became obscured. "I want to send you, if you're up for it. If you can create a visual distraction-"

"Then we can provide cover for a retreat, without risking our own." The two looked at each other, the elder looking on with admiration and a bit of humor in his eyes.

"Ever my protégé."

Almira smirked, crossing her arms. Garen was the commander of the Wind Benders, and he had picked her for a reason, which she often liked to remind him of in good and bad situations. She was sharp, and tactically tended to think like her mentor and commander, allowing them to move as a unit and effectively command as one. It hadn't always been like that; she certainly had to work hard to cover ground that many of her peers had years to perfect in comparison to her months. But she had been molded into the perfect successor, and if she did her job well, who was to complain about how fresh she was? "Did you ever question it?"

"By the gods, what is that?"

Heads turned, the entire room froze as a single robot appeared from the smoke and debris that had clouded the camera, gigantic sword in hand. With one swing and movement, it tore through the charging strip, ripping it to pieces and catalyzing explosions that rocked the building and destroyed the camera, static ripping across the screen. Silence fell over the room as every being attempted to process what happened. Garen recovered first, barking out orders. "I need visuals; do we have visuals on the lions?"

Technicians flipped frantically through monitors, as not one could find the multiple oddities, instead finding a seemingly bigger problem in the shape of a looming, sword-wielding, robot. Artus frowned. "The lions are gone."

"No," Almira breathed, pointing at a medium ranged camera. "Look closer. The arms and legs."

"Impossible." Artus brought the camera to the main feed, projecting it in front of the control panel. "The lions appear to have merged."

"Voltron."

Garen and Almira looked at each other in surprise at their unanimous emission, while Artus turned towards the two of them. His forehead and brows furrowed in confusion and disbelief. "The child's tale?"

"A child's tale no more. It's imperative that we help such an ally. Almira," he looked at his captain, who returned his intense gaze with determination glittering in her eyes, "get to Urudu as fast as possible. I'll contact Commander Jove."

"Sir." She saluted, and then grinned at Artus, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Keep the General in line, won't you Artus?" She received a broad grin and a thumbs up from her peer and a joking eye roll from the General as she back out of the room, slapping on her helmet as the door opened and closed quickly behind her back.

Dashing down the same dirt path, she scurried back into the cavern room, adjusting her eyes to the artificial light and consulting her helmet for the quickest route to the cavern of Urudu. Her mind raced a million miles a tick, and she inhaled deep and slow to calm her breathing and her racing mind; an unclear thought process would slow her down and put her and others in danger, and she recalled her training to slow her mind.

Voltron. Even as she began to clear her mind in order to process things properly, she felt her heart give a jolt at the unexpected turn of events. The legend of the ancient symbol of peace and prosperity; how did they not figure it out when the five lions had landed on their planet, attempting to ravage the Galra outpost? Perhaps the idea, the memory, the hope had been lost to them, a sad but realistic thought. Fleogans had been fighting on their own for this long, so why should they dream or hope of salvation from beyond the skies of their planet? They were a determined people, and when answers halted from beyond their borders, they sought their own answers, growing strong on their own.

But the tide could be turned. Almira opened her gauntlet on her arm, bringing up a keyboard that allowed her to interface with her helmet as she pulled up a map to Urudu. For all the meditative strategies, her mind still buzzed, halfway on the task before her, the other half on Voltron. Why were they there? Why after thousands of years did they appear only now? What had happened to them?

Just as she pulled up a route and began sprinting toward a tunnel on her right, her communicator buzzed before patching a communications and visual line through, an image of a dark skinned man with molten gold eyes popping up in lower left corner of her helmet. She grinned slightly. "Arden."

"About time you answered." The voice was gruff and maintained an irritated quality, but Almira could hear the affectionate undertones in his complaint. "Jove just called. I'm on my way to Urudu from Siu Va."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I thought Jove was patrolling the area."

"And I thought you knew how much I hated patrolling Ti Le Vang."

"And I thought you were trained better than to abuse power."

A chershire grin covered Arden's face. "What the men don't know won't hurt them."

"Ass."

"ETA?"

"Ten dobashes. Arden, it's Voltron." A smile ripped across her face, radiating joy even in the moment of panic and uncertainty. She knew that he could feel her excitement, the unspoken questions and emotions that rippled through her face and her simple words. It was like that with Arden, the unspoken between the two as easily interpreted as words themselves. "Voltron is real."

"I know." A muffled voice sounded in the background, Arden's eyes narrowing at something off-screen. "Any chance you can make it faster?"

"Make it seven."

With a nod, his attention looked as though he was about to yell off screen when the visual cut out, leaving Almira a full view of the darkness in front of her. The tension that his gaze held notified Almira to some sort of struggle going on in his location, which made her move with just a little more intent. Wings out again, she dashed through the tunnel, towards an uncertain future that was getting even stranger and stranger as each moment wore on.

 _What a way to start the night._

* * *

AN: Leave a review, or if you like something, let me know!


	2. Collide

AN: Against some of my judgement, I've release this chapter earlier than planned. I think that sometimes as writers, we have to be gentle with ourselves and remember that writing is a constant process; sometimes we just need to temporarily put the pen down and show what we have. But now we're getting into the meat of the story. Hope you enjoy!

Edit 1 (12/7/17): Again, beefing the story up and fixing continuity errors. It's always incredible to see how writing improves over time, and I can't wait to see where this story goes! Thanks again for being patient with these fixes; I promise I'll be getting to new content soon.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Collide**

The plans of attack had been fairly developed and logically sound. Under the cover of night, the paladins were to attack large Galra base along the southern mountain range that they had been able to identify. If they were able to take command of the base, then it was likely that they would then be able to get in contact with the Fleogans to coordinate some sort of alliance, since Coran had been unable to distinguish where the Fleogans were located. It had been a bizarre and unsettling discovery on their part to find that the native peoples were nowhere to be seen, giving the uneasy sense that there was a chance that they no longer existed. But the group remained hopeful, particularly Allura, that the natives were simply hiding, or covered somehow by the Galra from the surface. If the Balmerans had been able to adapt to living completely underground, then perhaps the situation was similar for the Fleogans; that they were merely hiding away from sight.

It then fell to logic that, if they were unable to find and communicate with the native peoples right off the bat, that they would need to resort to taking out the Galra to either provoke a response or find some signs of the Fleogans that would take the paladins right to them. Shiro had to admit that he didn't like leaving their mission to chance, but because of the insistence of the princess, they were all in the search to establish communication.

Which brought them to their current situation.

The Voltron team grunted as a new wave of Galra fighter pilots began an onslaught, pushing them away from the base toward the south side of the planet. The base they had chosen to attack was better armed than expected, filled with hundreds of Galra fighters than now circled around the air, and additional cannons on the ground that made the building shockingly well defended. Their move had been well planned, but not to the degree that guaranteed their success, and they were now paying for it.

"There's too many!"

"Lance is right, we can't take all of them on. We need a new plan of attack."

Shiro grasped his controls, grimacing as Voltron lifted their shield and braced itself on the ground from the onslaught from the sky. "Allura, can you hear us?"

Static crackled through the radio, no discernable reply coming. Their communications had been cut off since entering the planet's atmosphere, another sure sign of the disaster that they had entered into headlong. The paladins had noticed that, on their descent, they had punctured some sort of barrier with little resistance, and it was in hindsight that they realized that the planet was defended by some sort of shield. It was most likely designed less to keep things out and more to keep things in; a hopeful sign that life on the planet was resisting, but a note that was lost in the fact that the team was being overwhelmed by the firepower they encountered.

"We need a plan! They're reforming!" Sure enough, the fighter pilots had circled over them once, a mass of them coming from the Galra station. Approaching on land, pods with multiple Galra droids and fighters raced toward the grounded Voltron in coordination with air support. They had at least taken out the ion cannon on the ground, but there was no end to the manpower behind the station, encroaching on their position and overwhelming their senses.

It started as a breeze that blew through the battlefield, neither side paying any attention until pieces of rocks began to lift off the ground. Then the pods and even the fighter pilots began to experience difficulties, tossing around in the steadily increasing wind that seemed to pick them up like children's toys. Suddenly, a whirlwind of debris lifted from the ground, transforming into an unearthly tornado that stood between the mechanical being and the Galra fighters that stormed across the earth. The ominous rumble of thunder resonated through the air that vibrated with supernatural energy.

Shiro sat in awe, momentarily stunned. "What is that?"

"Uh, that can't be natural." The team shared a sense of amazement and slight fear, not knowing the intentions of the tornado but watching its approach in helplessness. It wavered briefly for a moment in front of them before racing toward the Galra forces in the opposite direction, snatching vehicles into a whirlwind of destruction and evoking a panic among their forces as they attempted to evade the unpredictable, snake-like patterns of the unearthly phenomenon. It plucked vehicles from land and air, like overripe grapes that were easily crushed by dexterous fingertips.

The air was cut by a sharp crackle on the radio, followed by a projection onto the screens of each paladin. A dark-skinned man with gold eyes appeared, his carriage magnanimous and serious as his visage evoked awe and hope into the pilots. "Voltron pilots, we are the native forces of Fleogas. We can briefly cover a retreat for you, but you need to act now. Due southeast of your location about twenty kilometers is a crater. If you can split into your lions and head for it now, we can cover you." His face remained neutral, although piercing eyes mixed with a humored tone as the corner of his lips quirked up, a challenging nature rising out of him. "We await your decision." The image cut to the raging tornado outside, still raging and gaining more traction as the moments wore on. For a brief moment, the paladins contemplated what had happened.

"The Fleogans are alive!"

"Shiro, do we trust them?"

Shiro grimaced. The man that had spoken to them did not seem like the most inviting and happy person at the sudden appearance, but there was little choice. If they didn't move, they risked being sucked in with the storm in front of them, the sucking gusts beginning to bore into Voltron's hefty frame. "Allura did, and we have no choice; we're outnumbered by the Galra and we've lost contact with the castle. Let's hope they really are our allies."

Taking one last glance at the tornado and the Galra forces speeding toward their location, the Voltron unit divided back into their lions and raced in the direction indicated by the mysterious man. It was risky, not knowing exactly into whose arms they were racing. Were the Fleogans really as friendly as Allura remembered? For all that was known, it could have been an ambush, but what other choice was available, save for being pummeled and overwhelmed by obvious enemy forces?

As the pilots dashed away in their respective lions, no one had time to see the tornado explode into a full-blown desert storm, flaring dust and debris into an explosion that cut all visuals of the vicious army and prevented their pursuit. Desperate to escape with their lives, no Galra forces had time to consider pursuing the Voltron lions, which were now far from anyone's mind.

* * *

Almira had been so focused on the tornado and dirt storm that she barely registered the mechanical lions breaking from the massive form of Voltron into their individual entities. It had been such a long time since she was able to fully utilize her powers to this large a scale of destruction, and she relished in the way that the blood in her veins pumped a little faster as the swirling wind-tower engulfed enemy fighters in its wake; the slithering, unpredictable patterns lapping up pods and debris like a dehydrated succulent waiting for spring showers. The rumbling of thunder made her hair stand on end, even kilometers away from the destruction.

This was the power of her ancestors, the birthright of her people, and pride mixed with her focus as she did what she knew best. Wind Bending had been her calling since she was a child after she had accidentally wiped the breakfast table clean in a fit of anger, much to the amusement of her brothers and the disapproving, yet amused, glare of her mother. The disapproval mostly came from the berry jam that stained her favorite shawl, but it was a source of pride that a young child had such potential in the mystic arts of wielding the wind. Her fingertips curled slightly as she called the winds to fold in upon each other, catching the Galra fighters in a mill of destruction and chaos. From toast to enemy pilots, she would be lying if it was easy, but it was what she did best. It was one of the few things that separated her from the pack.

The explosion of the tornado made the cadet next to her startle slightly at the noise, reverberating in their bones even from the distance from which they stood, his eyes shifting briefly to the strong captain beside him. Dust and broken fighters flew in every direction as the storm consumed all Galra hostiles, effectively severing all visuals as the lions sped toward the designated crater. Ranks effectively broken, Almira continued to fan the disaster around the area, effectively concealing all movement both inside and out. It would take days for the enemy forces to salvage what had been rendered useless in a matter of minutes, not including the damages sustained from the alien allies that soared through the air.

Her shoulder jostled and she broke her concentration slightly to look at the cadet beside her. His hand was on her shoulder, but his eyes tracked the lions as they carefully descended into the crater, looking to land along the shores of the lake. "Captain, the lions are secured inside." Both gazed into the distance as the storm began to settle, heavier objects careening into the ground without the wind to support them while the dirt and finer particles lazily began to settle. Satisfaction sent a shiver down her spine as Almira took one last glance and finally turned away. "Thank you, Lin."

The cadet grinned; although the affect was lost beneath his helmet, the energy in his voice was palpable. "I've never seen a Wind Bender in their fullest capacity."

The last lion had disappeared beneath the canopy, Almira noting the approximate location for their destination for the next leg of their journey. Lin's positive energy was infectious, and Almira even felt herself giving a little smile back, allowing amusement to seep into her response. "Let's hope you never anger one in earnest."

A shudder racked through his spine as he briefly imagined the sort of havoc that would be thrown upon him, as he raised his hands in defense. "I wouldn't! Warper's promise."

"With a statement like that, it depends on which Warper you're staking your claim." Her mind immediately flew to her elder brother and his carefree attitude. The only thing he took as seriously as his job sometimes was his jokes. With one final glance toward the scene of catastrophe, Almira breathed a steady sigh to calm her excited and trembling senses. "How does it look?"

Another armed warrior on her other side continued looking through a set of binoculars, helmet removed in order to look through the superior set of ocular materials. "No signs of any movement." He glanced briefly at the captain, winking. "You've outdone yourself again, Captain."

Almira smiled earnestly at the compliment, bobbing her head in acceptance before focusing again at Lin. "Let's see about those pilots." Tapping into the communication system, she called Arden, who answered nearly instantaneously. Golden eyes and a smirk filled her vision once more, and she had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at his lazy façade that failed to mask his intrigue at the unfolding of events.

"Already done?"

Yellow eyes couldn't resist rolling in their sockets this time, a mocking gesture to his rhetorical question. "I only generated one of the largest tornadoes and sandstorms on record. But it was a success." She briefly snuck another glance to the distance, then looking to the cadet who continued to scan through the binoculars for any signs of movement. Without looking away, he gave a thumbs-up to the woman, satisfaction running down her spine. "No visuals, and no Galra retaliations as of yet."

A small smile appeared on his face. "Good. You've outdone yourself as always, Almira." Eyes shifted and narrowed at something beyond the screen. "The lions are landing. We're at the northwestern edge of the lake. Get here as soon as you can."

"Consider it done." Communications cut with a small blip, and Almira sighed through her nose, brows furrowing slightly. It had actually taken a considerable deal of energy out of her to conjure the windstorm, even though the gales had already been fairly strong in the area. Considering the fact that she had also conjured a storm of the size and strength that it was while also miles away was no small feat either. A cup of chrysanthemum tea to soothe and reenergize her mind and soul could not come fast enough, but there was work to be done. She patted the binocular user on the shoulder before turning back to Lin. "Ready your grappling hook. No wings until we know what those lions want."

Hooks at the ready, the cadet followed the captain's leap over the edge of the crater, plummeting into the foliage below, flying through the trees to reach the lake's edge a kilometer away. With a flick of the wrist, the duo sailed through the dense jungle of the crater, swinging and sailing through the air while navigating around the various sized tree trunks and vegetation. Almira thanked the goddess that the crater was small; with the widest portion barely measuring a couple kilometers, it was easy to maneuver through the jungle to their destination.

The communicator opened up again, this time Lin's tanned face appearing. "So on a scale of one to ten, how normal is this?"

"Flying robot lions?" Almira cracked a smile. "Definitely not normal."

"Okay, that's good. I mean, not that it's good, I guess, because it's not normal. But, you know."

"Nervous?"

The boy chuckled lightly, and Almira was reminded of exactly how young the new recruit was.

 _Go easy on him. He's only joined this year._

 _Oh please, like I'm much older._

 _You're practically a legend, Almira. Not everyone can claim a captaincy at your age._

 _I'm surprised you're not bragging about yourself._

 _Well you know I-_

 _That wasn't an invitation._

 _I'm serious though. Take it easy. The kid won't shut up about us._

While known for his laid-back attitude and occasionally cockiness, Arden was fairly serious when it came to his job. Now that the General of the Warpers was missing in action and he had faced a sudden and unexpected promotion, he was even more dedicated, if such a term was even possible. Arden had been serious when he mentioned that Lin was as fresh as they came; the boy practically idolized the royal captain and general, but it was obvious that he was hard working and good at what he practiced. It made sense why Arden was favoring this young recruit. Both brother and sister could see the potential that was bred in his bones. "You're doing great Lin. It might not be everyday that this happens, but things can unnerve even the best of us."

"Well that's good to hear, I think –"

"Tree."

A grunt was heard through the communication link as the new recruit collided with a particularly large tree, quickly regaining balance and navigating around the obstruction. Almira slowed her pace ever so slightly to allow time for the younger recruit to catch up, forcing a snicker at the lack of coordination down her throat. It was a rookie mistake, and everyone had been there at some point. While Almira was all for flattening egos into their rightful place, Lin had a good heart, and she wasn't about to crush his starry eyed dreams.

"The visual displays in the comms system can be pretty distracting, but you'll get used to it." Memories of her childhood surfaced briefly, as she recalled a particularly favorite moment with a reminiscent smile. "Arden crashed fantastically the first time."

"You saw the General crash?"

Almira smiled. "Right into the willow tree behind the throne room. He was picking leaves from his feathers for a week."

A bigger laugh came from the cadet this time, slightly more unreserved than before. "I'll try to focus then."

"Like I said, you're doing fine." The lake was approaching quickly, and Almira began scanning for thermal activity in her helmet. So far, the identifications were still all Fleogan; apparently the pilots hadn't emerged quite yet. "We're pulling up on the lake pretty quickly. Find your squad. This is where we part."

"Thank you, Captain." The youth gave one final smile before ending the connection. Almira could visualize him pulling up the thermal identification system as slowed to a walk on the forest floor before he pulled off to the left, where his squad leader was most likely waiting. Helmet pulling up an identification on her own brother, the captain veered slightly to the right, making a beeline toward two familiar figures.

Garen had already appeared on site, and was apparently discussing something with Arden. It was only moments before the dirt floor turned into soft sand that blended the shoreline into the foliage. The two Generals had the visors of their helmets drawn up, and Almira released hers, cheeks pink from the exertion of swinging through the jungle. Her appearance drew their attention, turning their bodies to face her approach.

Arden grinned and embraced her with one arm. "You're right on time."

"And not a moment too soon." Garen nodded towards the gigantic metal lions that were parked on the sandy beach, a couple slightly submerged in the cerulean waters. A loud hissing accompanied the unhinging of the jaws, as small humanoid figures appeared in their shadows. The mechanism took its time as Almira turned to the two men.

"So what's the plan?"

"The three of us will approach them. Backup is in the tree line. We'll determine their intent and make a decision. The code word for trouble is 'hindsight.'"

"However, we still have one point of contention." Garen's face was deceptively neutral, and for a moment Almira was jealous of his ability to effectively disguise his emotions. It was only this blank slate that alerted her to a problem, and she crossed her arms, looking to Arden's figure who also remained at ease. Perhaps it was a requirement that all Generals have perfected their poker face, but she pushed the amusing thought aside, crossing her arms and sculpted eyebrow beckoning her commander to continue. "Arden wants to approach without helmets, but I fear that it may not be wise to do so."

Almira balked at the risky move, but quietly processed the idea before realizing Arden's intent. "We would make them feel comfortable if they can see our faces."

"But we would be at a disadvantage because our communication would be interrupted from our backup."

Arden cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Didn't you say it yourself? This is Voltron."

"It has the potential-"

"The defenders of the universe. They're the good guys."

"That was ten thousand years ago-"

"We don't have time to argue." Almira's gentle voice was strong enough to silence even her superior ranking officers. "I agree with Arden. It would be a diplomatic move to demonstrate trust, but Garen should keep his helmet on to issue orders."

The Wind Bender general grumbled, but Almira could hear the fondness behind the sharp words. "Already looking to take my position with your orders, are you?"

"I can agree to disagree, can't I?"

Arden motioned with his head in the direction of the lions. "Let's suit up. They're coming out."

Five figures emerged from the jaws of the lions and stepped into the moonlight, moving to form a "v" formation. They moved with a purpose through the shallow waters where their lions had been parked, coming to the shoreline to meet the trio who stood near the tree line. Moonlight reflected off of their white armor, their figures radiant in the dark compared to the black, streamlined uniforms that the Fleogan warriors donned. They paused a little ways out of the water's edge, waiting for a movement from the opposing party, and Almira noted that their figures seemed just as wary and skeptical as Garen.

Arden removed his helmet completely, the mechanisms hissing as his head was ejected with care from its grips. Tucking the black helm under his left arm, his right hand moved to smooth out the brown ponytail that coiled on the back of his head, damp with sweat from being locked inside for so long. He began walking toward the party of five, while Garen locked his helmet back up, hiding gray eyes that shone with suspicion and wariness. "Let's hope this goes well."

"Will all respect, sir, I think it'll be just fine."

"Mouth closed. Eyes open."

Almira chuckled, popping her own helmet open and tucking it under her arm similar to Arden. Moonlit lock tumbled out, and she copied Arden's move to organize the tangled hairs as much as possible to make some semblance of a presentable host. Her golden eyes locked onto Garen's helmet one more time, giving a look of encouragement before turning to bore her gaze into the pilots before her. They had moved forward to meet Arden halfway on the beach, and she followed suit to stand on his right hand side.

The paladins had removed their helmets, and she was surprised to see the humanoid faces that stared back at her. She had not been expecting similar features to her own, what with the legacy of the Voltron paladins being a diverse team of differing races that had bonded together for the common goal of peace and prosperity, but surely she should have realized that times had changed. For whatever reason that they were ten thousand years late to the party, it would be impossible that the paladins would be alive after all these years. She noted a particularly star struck paladin, dressed in a blue uniform, and she held his gaze with vague interest and confusion at his appearance before turning to her brother and the apparent leader.

"What business do you have with the Galra?" She close her eyes briefly to resist an eye roll at Arden's tactless question, the subtle nuances of politics and greetings never his style, and she briefly berated herself for not thinking forward and demanding that greetings be left to her. Thankfully, the opposing party didn't seem particularly offended at the question, but neither did he seem pleased with the association of an apparent enemy.

"None except hostility. We fight in the name of freedom." The black paladin seemed to speak for everyone, a couple nods from the yellow and blue paladins at his response. His answer visually pleased Arden, who gave a confident smile.

"Then you are welcome guests here in Fleogas." He moved to shake the hand of the black paladin, extending his right hand. "I am Arden Naois, second prince of the Fleogan Empire and General of my division. Forgive me for being forward," he paused as though contemplating how forward he could be without punishment by the woman on his right before continuing, "but you seem to have taken your time."

This time, Almira was unable to resist her eye roll, which garnered a raised eyebrow from the red paladin and a snort from the green who raised a hand to her mouth. The snowy haired woman gave a small smirk to the two before focusing back on their leader, who also had a lip quirked at her reaction.

"Well, it's been a few thousand years, give or take."

"Ten thousand years is better than eleven or eternity."

"I'm Shiro, paladin of the black lion. This is Pidge, Keith, Lance, and Hunk." Pidge and Hunk gave small waves, Keith settling for a head nod at the acknowledgement. Almira's gaze once again rested on the blue paladin, who had a strange look on his face. She raised an eyebrow in his direction, which he took upon himself to step between the two leaders and grab her hand.

"I'm Lance, at your service, mi'lady." He raised her hand to his lips, and Almira flushed, yanking it back and avoiding everyone's gaze while Shiro yanked the younger paladin back by the neck of his uniform into line. He leveled Lance with a stern glare, the boy in question barely looking apologetic, before turning back to address the offended lady in question.

"Sorry."

"It's, not a problem." Damn it, she was a renowned captain and a tenacious warrior, but a flirtatious newcomer somehow had her flustered. In her defense, men never flirted with her, usually wary of the fact that she could manhandle them and chuck them across the room, but the blue paladin had caught her off guard. But somehow, she couldn't find herself angry at her embarrassment; deep down it was certainly flattering, and if she had been a normal, courtly, woman, she certainly would have responded worse. She was a trained warrior, the definition of collected and focused, damn it! Pulling her thoughts together, she cleared her throat and looked to Arden. His golden eyes were trained on her with amusement, and she vowed to rip him a new one later for making her deal with the frankly embarrassing situation on her own. "I am Almira, second princess of the Fleogan Empire and second in command of my division." She made sure to emphasize her military rank in a vaguely threatening manner as she stared the blue paladin in the eyes, his realization at her power making him gulp slightly and shrivel behind Shiro's figure.

Arden took the lead again, channeling their conversation in a new direction while still finding humor in Almira's situation and keeping the mood light. "May we ask what brings you here to Fleogas?"

"We came to see if you were still alive. Our friends back in our support ship remembered who you were, and how you supported the Alteans before the Galra took over." Shiro's answer caught Almira off guard, frowning slightly in confusion as she pieced her history lessons together quicker than Arden.

"I'm sorry, but I thought the Alteans were all dead?"

Shiro seemed slightly sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head, an apologetic smile. "It's kind of a long story. Princess Allura and her advisor Coran survived in cryo in their castle."

Arden had turned back to glance at Garen's figure, who still waited closer to the tree line. The Wind Bender General pointed his index and middle finger into the sky, the prince immediately interpreting the signal with a wave of anxiety that was immediately suppressed. Hiding his emotions and swiftly coming back to their conversation, he put an end to the tale. "I'm sure it's something we can talk about later, but Galra patrols are on their way. We need to escape quick."

White hair shimmered as the young woman turned to her brother's face, the two making eye contact. She had thought that her storm would provide them with more time, the destruction she had wrecked on the scene impossible to recover from, unless-

Ah, the main base had not been depleted. They would be sending scouts to find the lions, and after then, who knew what would happen? Additional sites would be called upon to take the craters out, and more lives would be at risk. They would have to move fast to avoid being spotted, but how to move the gigantic figures of not just one, but five lions? The two silently communicated between one another, but it was obvious that at least one of the paladins was on a similar train of thought.

"Okay, okay, so not to intrude," Hunk placed his hand on Lance's shoulder, looking at Arden with wariness and fear, "but we're in a crater. How are we gonna hide from the Galra when we're trapped in this itty bitty hole?"

The siblings refused to break eye contact, eyes locking for a few moments more before Almira tilted her head, an idea formulating. "The waterways." The two smiled in satisfaction, the snowy haired captain coiling her tresses to fit underneath her helmet once more. "Your orders?"

"Tell Garen to station a watch to see what the Galra look for, and determine if they will strike. Notify the capital that we're on our way." Arden turned to Shiro and the paladins, the spark in his eyes radiating danger and excitement. "How do your lions fare under water?"

Meanwhile, Almira slipped on her helmet, booting the systems to life and pulling a line to Garen. She remained by Arden's side, but allowed his conversation to melt away as she turned her body in her commander's direction, physically signaling a communication. He quickly answered her call, gray eyes grave. Almira immediately spoke, not wasting time. "Arden wants to you collect a guard to monitor what the Galra see and try to figure out if they will strike. The rest of our men can work on preparations for evacuation if necessary. We'll be heading to the capital through the water systems."

He nodded gravely. "Take care of yourself. Use your head."

"When it comes to Arden, I sometimes think I'm the only one using my head." With a snort and a smile at the familiar wit that laced his subordinate's sentences, he closed the line and retreated into the forest, his figure moving faster than one would assume for someone his ancient age. No doubt he was in his element, moving everyone around and preparing for a strike, and Almira was thankful for his presence. Even if he was older and high in command, Almira had come to learn that Garen tended to take matters into his own hands whenever he could instead of doling out orders to lesser ranking members. He had a heavy influence on Almira, who often followed in his footsteps, although she had yet to learn the balance when it came to sharing weight with others.

Her attention moved back to Arden and the paladins, who seemed to have worked out the details of their route and order. She kept her helmet on, wary of the potential call that may come in and not wanted to leave both Arden and her stranded from further updates.

"Shiro and I will be taking the lead through the systems." Almira nodded at the logic, but her body tensed when she saw Lance looking at her with a suggestive look spread across his face.

"And the lady can ride with me. I'll keep you safe in the dark tunnels."

"Full offense, but I can take care of my own." He immediately sagged at being shot down. She had been ready this time, and she was certain that she would not be caught off guard in the future. Looking at Arden, she addressed him again. "Who's last?"

Shiro was the one who answered instead. "I think Keith should be." The red paladin perked up at the mentioning of his name, his face guarded as he waited for an explanation. Arden coolly took in the boy's figure, who immediately tensed and agitated at the feeling of being looked over. It was almost adorable, considering the experience that Arden had under his belt, this young paladin surely a fledgling compared to Almira or even a new cadet like Lin.

Raising an eyebrow but remaining calm, Arden hummed in consideration. "If any Galra ships come down behind us, we'll need someone who can fend them off." When eyes turned to Hunk, the yellow paladin gulped and shook his hands, deferring the attention from himself.

"Nuh uh, I'm scared enough that we have to go down into a dark ancient water system. If something jumps out at me, I might, I dunno, crash into someone."

"Keith?" It was obvious that Shiro had decided who would best suit the situation after Hunk, but he continued to wait for affirmation from his selected candidate. Keith shrugged apathetically in response.

"Sure. I can handle it."

"It's unlikely that anyone will follow us," Arden added on to assuage any doubts, "but it's just a precaution."

"Then I'll go with Keith." Almira's word was final, and she moved toward the red paladin. Lance's jaw hung open in shock, partially at being shrugged off, the majority by her willingness to go with the moodiest, most rude, cocky, paladin of the entire group. At least, that was in his opinion. Keith nodded in acknowledgement, leading the way over to his lion as the paladins began to break off, preparing to leave. Pidge snickered at Lance.

"Better close your mouth before you catch a fly."

"No offense dude, but she's way out of your league."

Hunk's comment was enough to set his friend off, finally blowing his lid. "But why does she want to be with Keith then?! He's so broody?"

Lance's words carried over to Keith, who flinched slightly at the accusation. It was true enough, but it only served to remind him of how closed off he was with his teammates. It was hard to open up around people, and his friend's words cut. He snuck a look at Almira, face still obscured by the black helmet over hear head. She seemed distant, removed from the entire situation, but he noticed the slight tilt of her head before her voice came out muffled, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Full offense, but I'd rather be brooding than running a mouth that doesn't think."

He snorted. Maybe the ride wasn't going to be as bad as he thought it would.

.

* * *

AN: Reviews? Please? :D


	3. Curio

AN: The bad news: I've injured my hand pretty badly at work, so I'll be a lot slower for a couple weeks. The good news: I'm starting to see a lot of areas where I can improve my writing! Sorry that I'm basically throwing up the barebones of the story, but I'm depending on my edits coming later. It's easier for me to chuck my ideas out there first and revise, revise, revise, afterward. As always, thanks so much for reading. Leave a review with some improvements I can make/ things that you enjoy!

Edit 1 (12/12/17) – The plot is the same, but I basically rewrote this entire chapter. There was too much I didn't like, and some things I wanted to add. Thanks for your patience!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Curio**

Where Lance had been loud, open, and flirty, Keith was the perfect antithesis, the shadow to the loud brightness. Almira found it amusing how he seemed to bumble in her presence at first, a particularly endearing moment where he had started to enter the lion before pausing, gesturing for Almira to enter first, making her heart light. For all the "moody behavior" that Lance had poked at, she found herself comfortable around the reserved paladin.

She could make an informed hypothesis, however, that he was not necessarily comfortable around her.

But all hesitation and awkwardness gave away she entered the cockpit, gazing with wonder at the tech inside as he moved to seat himself, starting the craft up with expertise and familiarity. She took the time to open the faceplate on her helmet, audio still connected in case someone needed to communicate with her, but freeing her face to observe everything without a lens. The helmet and its guiding software were useful, but there was nothing like using her own eyes to make conjectures about the world around her. Her new companion for the next leg of their trip fell into a rhythm, the awkwardness fading to muscle memory as he flicked switches and adjusted elements.

Under her feet the lion rose, causing her to grip onto the back of his chair to support her as a small gasp left her parted lips. Keith muttered a small apology for the sudden movement before guiding the lion further into the waters, the yellow lion just disappearing underneath the surface toward the center of the lake, following suit of the others. Better prepared for the movements that followed, Almira trusted her equilibrium enough to relax her clenched fist, only using the chair as a light support.

To Almira's right, a visual of Shiro came to life, and she moved closer to Keith's seat in order for him to share the view. Arden stood in a similar position next to Shiro, to the right and behind the chair as he craned his neck to stand in the shot. His helmet was secured on his head, face panel open for a clear view of glittering molten eyes that stood apart from the gray interior.

"Arden has asked us to keep all lights off. Any light escaping from these tunnels could alert the Galra of our escape."

"Shiro, I don't know if you realize this, but we're literally navigating in the dark. I can barely see your tail light." Lance's voice patched through the system, the realization that all paladins were connected through the channel passing over Almira.

"If you'd rather be hunted by the Galra, then by all means, light it up. Any more questions?" Arden's voice sounded like it was half joking, but the lethal quality that simmered and snaked through each syllable shut everyone's mouth. "Good. If our lights are off, we can take our time. We take our time; we get to the capital safely. I'll keep you updated when we can turn lights on."

Shiro seemed unperturbed by Arden's poisonous quality, most likely understanding the logic behind the decision. "Alright team. Take it slow." The screen cut out, the only sounds in the compartment steady breathing and the hum of the mechanics. As Lance had pointed out, the only visual in front of them was the faintly glowing tail of the lions in front of them, barely enough light to make out anything beside the backside of the preceding figure. Adjusting his grip on the controls, the paladin focused on slowly lowering himself down the same path, and at some point realized that they hadn't hit the bottom yet, without an end in sight. He took a moment to glance at his new companion, her face still taking in the interior and designs of their ship. Clearing his throat, he snared her attention, curiously staring back at the pilot.

"So how far does this go?"

Almira tilted her head, a sure sign and habit that her brilliant mind was working away at something, eyes seeming to look out aimlessly to the watery abyss enveloping them. "Long answer or short answer?" A grouching, irritable look passed over his face at her answer, and she restrained a chuckle at his form, shoulders slouching slightly. "Do you want to rephrase your question?"

Questions on question; an absolute favorite. Keith sighed. "How long is this trip gonna be?"

"Unfortunately, you're stuck with me for at least a varga." The melodic tones of her voice sounded anything but disappointed, and while Keith discovered dread and exasperation in his soul, it was as though her positivity pelted his bubble of negativity. A humorous visual, he decided to likewise humor his newfound companion.

"The long story, then."

A hum and a pause filled the space, and Keith was tempted to look back again to see what exactly was on her mind, or if anything on her face gave away a reaction or idea. He forced himself to focus forward on piloting; he was certain if he got distracted and managed to crash into something, he would never hear the end of it from Lance. Fortune favored him, however, and he didn't have to wait long for her calming voice to fill the space between them.

"How about a deal?"

He tried to keep his tone polite, but he was certain that his irritation was only obscured to a certain degree. "If you answer my question, then sure."

"Hasty."

"Are you going to answer me?"

"Do you want to know what kind of deal I want first before you get into it?"

No, he didn't particularly care. He just wanted answers, and her roundabout way of talking and the circles she was running around him was eating away at his patience delicate syllable by syllable. On one hand, he wanted to turn around and demand a straightforward answer, but there was the knowledge that she definitely knew and understood the power she held over him. Perhaps his patience would wear thin, would snap like brittle dehydrated tree bark lain to waste on the tar pavement, but he tried to keep it together for the team's sake, for the reputation of the Voltron paladins that preceded even him. Inhaling deep to calm himself, he quietly sighed, slowly savoring the release of breath that heightened the sense of his beating heart in his chest.

He would play along. Did he have any choice? He had to remember that the Fleogans had been ancient allies of the Alteans, and it wouldn't do to disrupt that connection on behalf of Allura and Coran. While recalling how she had struck Lance down and the amusement that it had brought him, he was now beginning to see the double edged sword that was the Fleogan princess and captain in front of him. If that goof of a human could recover and survive, then surely he could do better? "Alright," he settled on his decision, making himself as comfortable as possible, "What's the deal?"

If she had been one of the wild cats that lingered in the forests of the northern craters, she would have been purring with satisfaction. Instead, Almira settled for the warm feeling in her chest as she began prying the paladin open; he seemed generally curious about the Fleogans, as was she about Voltron. How did they survive? Why now of all times to reappear? Best of all, she was isolated with one of their members on a personal level. Now was the time to crack him open, but she knew that his general distrust of others as he had already demonstrated meant that he had to be coaxed into the open.

"A quid pro quo, so to speak. If I can answer some of your questions, I'll answer some of yours." Should she poke him where he was sensitive, expose his insecurities? Probably not. "It's a fair deal for two people with trust issues, particularly when you're the one who's wandering blind into a situation." She did anyway. It was almost worth it to see his metaphorical feathers ruffled, grumbling to himself in agitation, and the payoff was even better when she saw his shoulders set squarely on his frame; she had won.

"Fine."

It wouldn't do to have him completely set against her though, so she settled on smoothing his temperament one more time. It was amusing, hilarious almost, that she was able to manipulate his emotions and actions so quickly, but she had years of practice to master the art of deception and manipulation. "If it's any consolation, I don't blame you for your lack of trust. It's a wise move to tread lightly." Her words fell on receiving ears, and the two softened. "I won't tell you to trust us, trust me, but I'll do everything I can to ensure that you can."

A warm observation and musing filled the cold space, and Almira fell quiet, allowing the paladin to prepare himself. What sort of questions would he ask? Should she be prepared to give everything openly, or were there things that she should keep secret? By that matter, everyone had secrets, her perhaps least of all with her life being the most open book to those surrounding her, but there was information that was unnecessary for an outsider to tout around. But looking at the boy before her, secrets were perhaps the key to gaining his trust, to permit a hidden facet of her or her people to rattle in his pretty head. It would, therefore, depend on what sort of secrets he asked of her. Then again, perhaps she was thinking too far into the conversation and attempting to map what direction it would leer off into.

"So." His words yanked Almira out of her musings and back into the present moment. "We couldn't find you when you arrived. Why?"

"While I don't know exactly what tools you were using to find us, we've hidden ourselves away." She paused, trying to imagine what they had seen when looking at the planet; if it were true that they had two Alteans from the ancient days before the Galra occupation, they would have remembered the glittering structures that proudly dotted the surface of Fleogas. The connection was then easy to make. "If you were looking at old maps, you were probably looking for the ancient strongholds on the surface. We were," she paused. What word would she use to describe the manner from which her people had been escorted from their homes, their livelihoods? Was there a stronger word than forced? "Violently evacuated from the surface. We've adapted to the craters, living below the surface and covered by the dense vegetation that grows inside."

"So there's more of you?" Keith's voice was hopeful, unrestrained and unmasked, and even Almira found a fondness for his open questions and musings.

In all honesty it was refreshing to talk with someone new whose questions weren't rooted in some greedy desires, poorly disguised questions that sought to expose or gain an unfair advantage over her position. She even felt a little bad for prodding him in her own desired direction, but it was to both their advantages. A smile floated across her features, prodding gentle lips into an upward twist. "Yes. Not just some more of us either. We've flourished, something that even the Galra couldn't have predicted. Our numbers are strong, though scattered throughout the planet."

It gave Keith something to ponder over, but it was time for Almira to take the wheel. "My turn for a question." A singsong quality to her voice found Keith both irritated and amused at her playful qualities, and even he cracked a smirk. What could she ask? Or, more precisely, what should she ask? There would be a time to interrogate the paladins altogether, to learn about their sudden reappearance and everything that most Fleogans had on their mind, so she could rule out any obvious questions that would be addressed at a later date. But what else did she want to know? She looked at the glass that stretched out before them, the darkness enveloping the lion allowing for the low lights in their compartment to illuminate and reflect their wavering, watery, images. Brilliant silvery eyes matched glittering gold in ferocity and detail, and Almira found her mind wandering over the lithe, slender features that matched her own.

"Your home planet. What's it like?"

"Earth?" Of all the questions, this was the least anticipated from a representative of the Fleogan people. Then again, he watched her eagle eyes raking over his figure with a tender delicacy, a gentle wariness as she considered him, and her reflection could almost be mistaken for a curious predator contemplating a foreign prey, doubting every instinct that drove her to devour and consume. He was reminded briefly of Allura waking from her cryostasis, a rabid ferocity that doubted the twitch of every muscle at the obvious disadvantage she held outnumbered, but the woman before him carried herself as though she had seen the atrocities of ten thousand years with her own two eyes; there was a quiet assuredness and a physical mastery of every movement, a practiced dancer weaving a dangerous spell that he was most assuredly falling under.

But if she were seeking an advantage to hold over him, she refused to take it. Her question had caught Keith off guard with the personal nature, an inquisition that gave her no informative gain over the paladins. She was complex and frankly confusing; she had verbally caught him in a corner from the moment they descended into the black waters, and she knew it. But here she was, taking a completely different turn not minutes later and opening the space between them for something more breathable, the table cleared for negotiations of trust, as she had mentioned. He mentally shook his musings, returning to his question. "It's home, I guess. There's a lot of dusty plains and mountains, where I'm from." He was reminded of their team's journey into the lair of the blue lion, which seemed like eons ago, when it was in all likelihood barely a month. A frown settled on his lips as he stared out into the waters, seeking out molten eyes that matched his own in a soft understanding.

He must have paused for a while, for she shifted her weight behind the chair. "You must miss it."

Shoulders shrugged in indifference. There were advantages to being in space, but did that mean he wanted to return to Earth? "Yeah, parts of it." Perhaps he was impartial because of the lack of an established family, unlike Hunk and Lance who most certainly had ties that made the separation all the more painful. "But this is our destiny, I guess."

"Defenders of the Universe." An unnamed emotion crossed her face, although Keith swore that there were signs of wistfulness, and perhaps bitterness? It was difficult to see in the reflection, the incorporeal image lacking the justice that came from standing face to face. "It is a lonely destiny."

"You sound like you speak from experience."

Their distorted connection broke as Almira turned her head away, choosing to shift her eyes to her right and eyeballing a particularly innocuous space to the right of Keith's chair. Her feet were beginning to tire, and figured that it was a prime moment to settle in for the long haul. She carefully lowered herself to the ground, leaning her back against a silver panel and crossing her legs in front of her. Her helmet clinked as it made contact with the metallic interior of the lion, her eyes returning to the red paladin in front of her. It was now easier to see his face, the sharp lines of his jaw standing out the most from her position, and she could even see storm grey eyes flickering between their path and her movement. She sighed quietly, linking her hands together. "Is that your next question?" There was a weary quality that aligned with her playfulness now, the events of the day beginning to creep into her joints and settle in with resignation.

Keith took a moment to respond, considering his options briefly. "Yeah."

She hummed in permission, taking her time collecting her thoughts. It was a complicated question to explain to an outsider, explaining her empathetic response to the isolating calling of the paladins of Voltron. But she would not lie; she was building trust with the boy before her, and if it were particularly selfish of her she would admit that his brusque demeanor was endearing and familiar.

"Our military is stratified into differing levels dependent on skill. Most common are the Lansild, our foot soldiers and the bulk of our army, along with the Technology Brigade, the brains to the Lansild's brawn. But there are," she paused, searching for the words and contemplating how far her explanation would draw; was she going to explain everything, down to the legendary inheritance of their people? "Other, more technical levels.

"Legend has it that the goddess Eos blessed our race with the power to conjure the wind, and bend it to our uses." Keith's eyebrows rose at the improbable lore. Gods and goddesses? Were such things real in the universe? "The ability isn't found in everyone anymore, but there are some who are talented in the field."

"Controlling the wind?"

She rolled her eyes quietly. It was a valid question from someone who hadn't been trained and raised in their society, learning their reverence of the wind and the almost mystical powers that a select few had the fortune or sorrow to possess, but it tended to irritate most wind users anyway. It was a common misperception that they controlled the wind, when the nature of the pact was less controlling and more borrowing and diverting, but there lay an argument and philosophical debate that she would leave to the nobility who had the time to consider such ideals on a whim. "Essentially." She settled on agreeing with him for now, although if the topic were to rise in the future, she would eventually have to lecture him on the more intricate ideologies of the Fleogans. "I am one such person, as is Arden.

"There are three ranks, signifying three different ability ranges. The archers, who associate their powers with effecting objects; the Warpers, whose powers relate to their own bodies and skills; and the Wind Benders, whose skills can conjure gales from breezes, massive natural disasters, depending on their proficiency." She paused, eyes narrowing playfully at Keith's figure. "You do realize that this is prized information, me revealing the intricacies of our people. You're the first outsider to learn this in thousands of years."

A particularly impressive eye roll matched the impatient exasperation, a scowl also accompanying an accusing tone at her obvious statement. "Weren't you the one jabbing at my trust issues earlier?"

It was like opening a door from the Garrison to a mild summer morning, the sun not yet at its peak with the evening dew evaporating for a glancing humidity that washed over skin in a soothing balm. Her voice filled the space, a natural embrace that Keith was sure would melt any person's rough edges even just a little, the gates on his heart creaking as they shifted under her warmth. Then it was gone, leaving only the radiant sun in her eyes and on her lips, a brilliant intensity that had the knowledge of withering heat and warming frosted surfaces. "You have me there, paladin."

"It's Keith."

The sun was setting in her eyes, warmth simmering in sincerity as she collected herself again. "Almira. Just Almira."

A moment passed in golden silence before she cleared her throat, recollected her thoughts. "So the three classifications then. I'm guessing there's an order here?"

His attention to her words warmed her, encouraging her on without restraint. "In a way. Archers are the most common; it's easy to see when a child moves an object, and it's easiest to grasp powers when focusing on something else. Warpers have the difficulty of applying their powers then to their own bodies, and their ranks have obviously established a method of attacking that has the appearance of warping instantaneously from one place to another. Any questions so far?"

Shaking his head, he scratched his neck sheepishly. "Not really. You're a good explainer." Placing both hands on the controls again, he focused outside, multiple taillights coming into view and spreading out beneath them. They were approaching the bottom of the water systems, slowly but surely. "So the Wind Benders?"

"It helps that we're the most sensitive to the wind, but we essentially build upon the energy that is already present. Like I said, we can create storms from almost nothing. It's draining but," she sighed, recalling the steadiness of her hands as she had fanned the covering storm that evening, lightning sparking at her fingertips as she relished the intense ability that was entirely her own, "exhilarating."

"So you're a Wind Bender." It was definitely another question, and Almira could probably turn the tables very quickly, but a piece of her heart warmed at the interest, the earnest attention he paid to her words not out of a desire to exploit her, but out of interest and curiosity for knowledge's sake. It wasn't to say that he was incapable of such harsh actions, but his emotions were honest, and Almira could read him like a book. "Is Arden a Wind Bender?"

"A Warper, actually," she corrected gently, but ego stoked at the advantage she held. "He's a General, the head of the Warpers. Each division has one general and an array of captains, depending on the size of each section."

"And you're a captain."

She was honestly impressed that he had remembered everything she had said thus far in their short time together. "Yes. Second captain of the Wind Benders."

He quieted for a moment, processing the information while turning more of his attention to their surroundings outside the lion. Maneuvering around in the space, he looked for a place to settle his lion. They had exited the shaft from the lake, which had dumped them abruptly into a large space. It was still almost impossible to see the exact scale due to the darkness, but the figures of the five lions were vaguely illuminated in small blue lights.

"You mentioned that it's a lonely destiny." As the lion landed, the long settled sediment fluffing around the claws, he looked to his companion once more. Upon meeting her eyes, he knew that his question need not be verbally addressed, the conflict and unrest on her golden face already preparing an explanation.

"I seek to serve my people, so that one day a generation may know what it is like to soar unburdened through the skies of Fleogas." Her voice was quiet in the way that the setting sun acknowledges the inevitable approach of twilight, then chased by blue night's heavenly reign. "There are many who doubt my abilities as a woman, a member of the royal family, who expect my duties to align with family and the court. I am both accepted yet estranged. I have Arden," her voice turned defensive and eyes hardening, "no doubt, and I have the support of my peers. But I have also lost much in order to stand where I am today."

Closing her eyes, her features smoothed over, a mask quickly replacing the agonized look in her eyes that had begun to seep through her own defenses, and it was in that moment that Keith realized that he no longer held her at arm's length. How could he, after she had begun ripping herself apart in front of him, a paladin of Voltron and therefore a respected guest, yes, but a stranger nonetheless? Perhaps she wasn't a friend just yet, but she had demolished his expectations, his guards, invading his space and somehow claiming her place as an ally. She confused him at every turn, creating more questions often than answers could be found, but there was an elegance that demanded even the most begrudging individuals their respect, and it was apparent how she had overcome the most doubtful critics of her path.

But she was right; it was a lonely destiny. He wondered how much pain, how many comrades she had lost in the fight against the Galra, how much duress her beautiful mind had endured in comparison to his short time as a paladin. It was surely innumerable, and yet she had refused to pull up differentiations in her suffering compared to his. She had colluded, acknowledged his own struggles as a peer, an equal in the fight for the universe. Moment by moment, she was chipping away at his defenses, and Keith wasn't sure if welcomed the intrusion or not.

Above her head, a communication line opened again, Shiro and Arden's faces appearing in the purple light of the black lion. Almira twisted from her position, kneeling so that she could see the visual without obscuring Keith's view. She internally sighed at the amused faces on both leaders' faces; the two were obviously getting along swimmingly, although she wasn't complaining about her situation either. Talking with Keith and opening up her feelings about everything was an unexpected twist, but it was no doubt better than fending Lance's flirty comments off.

"We've received communications from the top." Arden was the one who spoke first, grinning unreservedly. "Looks like we gave them the slip. We're safe to turn on the lights now."

The other three paladins cheered unseen at the order, the lion's external lighting systems flickering to life and illuminating the cavernous room. It was even larger than Keith had expected, and the cheers swiftly moved to marveling at their surroundings. The walls were polished smooth, graying granite-like in appearance and shimmering ever so subtly as the lights reflected off their surfaces. Six tunnels branched out from the room, unreadable runes etched over their frames that dwarfed even the lions.

"Welcome to the waterways of Fleogas. It was carved a few thousand years ago, back when we found a need to move under the radar from cavern to cavern."

"We have smaller tunnels underground, of course," Almira added, surprising Keith slightly as she spoke with confidence. "But those are mainly used for people and small transports. We needed something bigger for our larger weaponry without sacrificing the integrity of the tunnels."

"And here we are!" Arden gestured around, a wide smile with pride at the astonishment of the paladins. Almira snuck a glance at Keith, who quietly took in the engineering marvel with awed, parted lips. "We'll be taking the southeastern tunnel. It'll be faster from here on out, since we don't have to hide, but buckle in for the ride."

Shiro nodded in affirmation, focusing the team again. "Alright, let's keep the same formation. We'll be at the capitol in no time." The communication cut with a blip, and Almira eased back into her position on the ground. Her eyes were reenergized, the emotional exhaustion that had slipped out stowed safely away again, as she looked at Keith with a warm smile.

"I believe it's my turn to ask a question now."

He playfully rolled his eyes in mock irritation, although the quirk of his lips gave him away. "Great, more time stuck with you."

Almira's heart lightened at the sarcasm; it was certain that they were going to become friends in the future, although she doubted that Keith was prepared for the constant sass that often saturated her conversations with Arden and most of the noble ilk that dared to bother her with their trivialities. Her smile was honest, and for the first time during the day, she found herself personally thankful for the abrupt intrusion of the paladins of Voltron.

"And here I thought we were getting to know each other."

* * *

AN: Have any questions about the story? Leave a review, or shoot me a message, and I'd be more than happy to answer!


	4. New Altaira

AN: Hello again! I know I've been posting a lot and very quickly, but that's because I wrote the first four chapters before posting the first one. Not to disappoint too much, but it'll be a lot slower from here on out. I haven't quite figured out a posting schedule, but I'll keep everyone posted when I do. Please leave a review or a comment, or anything really! It's encouraging to get almost anything related to the story.

.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: New Altaira**

No matter how long she had lived in the capital city, returning to New Altaira consistently filled Almira with dread. Every return to the royal court made her wings and legs itch with the desire to return to her brothers in arms and fly away from the crater as soon as possible. The fragrant bouquets of court pettiness and drama were so rampant in the air, it was as if she was forced to drink it down with the heavy perfumes and oils of the aristocracy. To say that royal life never suited her style was the understatement of the century.

A shudder ran down her spine as she exited the red lion behind Keith, emerging into a large hangar embedded in the cliff-side. It existed from days of old, where battle cruisers were still operational and in numbers that made their current fleet look like adolescent teenagers. The only positive side to their lack of numbers lay in the vast improvements and modifications that had been performed on older units. It filled her spirit with pride to know that she had led the construction of many modifications herself alongside her brother Akil, who loyally mentioned her name whenever receiving praises for his accomplishments. She was already venerated in her ranks in the military and respected among her peers, but the ever obstinate and pig-headed nobles refused to recognize her achievements, stuck in their sexist ways that preferred to take women lying down. Another shiver wracked her body as she thought about the lecherous looks of the filthy noble men; Almira would love nothing more than to challenge their egos to a duel to death in the battle simulators, but diplomacy demanded her smile stay ever on her lips as she suffered patronizing comments one after another.

Their air was damp from the condition of the caves, but the ground was sturdy enough, not yet to the point of becoming muddy. The other pilots were dismounting from their lions, heading towards the cave entrance where Shiro and Arden were already conversing, looking out on the crater below. Helmet back on her head, securing her snowy locks while the faceplate lay open, she stepped into time beside Keith. Arden turned first to the pilots, who gathered behind them.

"Welcome officially to New Altaira." The yellow and green pilots burst forward to see the view in person; even Almira had to admit that seeing the view in the lions had nothing on breathing the fresh air and looking down upon the emerald treetops for themselves. Although the night had finally settled in a blanket over the planet, the behemoth plant life was awe inspiring all the same.

"I thought the capital city was here? All I see are trees." Lance peered out from the edge, a hand shading his view dramatically as he attempted to look for any signs of modern civilization.

Keith walked over to the blue pilot's location, pushing his shoulder playfully and rolling his eyes. Almira walked over to stand between Shiro and her brother, a fond and amused look on her face as she gazed at the interaction between the two paladins. "Obviously not, idiot. They're hidden from view. How would they survive the Galra?"

"Oh, right."

Arden smiled, giving his sister a knowing look. "Keith is right. The power of the city and our entire civilization is that we live right under the Galra's noses, hidden in plain sight."

Breathing a deep breath and exhaling dramatically, Almira raised an eyebrow. "Welcome to the city of aristocratic rabble and loud mouthed know-it-alls who shove their titles down your throat and feign politeness when convenient."

"Just because you hate this place-"

"Spare me, brother mine. We both know we hate this place equally." Although there was a light tone in her voice, there was an underlying dark humor that turned the joke into something more serious. Cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders, she noted the squadron of racer pods driving up the sloping hill to their left. In their final few moments alone, Almira turned her attention to Shiro, her attitude changed to one of complete seriousness. "Keith mentioned that your communication systems with this castle of yours have been downed since landing on Fleogas."

The lead paladin nodded, tilting his head in Arden's direction. "Arden and I had just been talking about that on our way here. He says that you can work things out."

Crossing her arms, Almira frowned almost imperceptibly. "The Galra have the capability to hack into our communications down here, so it can be an all out war over frequencies just to get secured lines. It's probably better for you that your lines have been down. But no worries," she uncrossed her arms and granted them all a small smile. "We'll get a secured line for you as soon as we get down into the city. I know that it's pretty imperative to get in contact with whoever you have up there."

Pidge poked her head around Shiro's figure. "I know the frequency that we normally use. That way you won't be searching for a signal and hoping to find the right one."

The grin that spread across Almira's lips was genuine, and potentially the biggest one that the team had seen yet. "That'd be great. It'll save us a lot of time."

The pods had finally reached their location, the engines settling down to a gentle purr as they came to a halt along the mouth of the cavern. Arden and Almira took the lead, motioning the group over. "We'll need to take you to see the King first, just to get formalities out of the way. After that, we'll head over to the tech stations to see what we can do about getting a line up."

Lance punched the air enthusiastically. "Alright! We get to meet a king! Maybe we can get a huge ceremony and some food too."

Inwardly chuckling, a smirk gracing her sharp features at Keith's eye roll at the blue paladin's dramatic daydream, she hopped onto the back of one of the pods. "Knowing the celebratory nature of our people, you'll get that before the sun sets tomorrow."

* * *

If the paladins of Voltron had been set up to believe that the Fleogan civilization was humbly living beneath the fronds of simple tree tops, they were nearly physically blown off their escort pods as they raced through the upper city and into the castle compound.

Hulking tree trunks were more artfully wrought than even the most awe inspiring columns and archways of both Earth and alien architectures. While the darkness of night still sang through the air, the gentle glow of lights from the castle buildings illuminated the brilliant buildings that, although fashioned from wood and some even integrated with the trees themselves, spoke of powerful craftsmanship and delicate aesthetics. The city was the perfect combination of nature and technology, intertwining the two so closely that the grafting used in the grand design was lost to the awe of the façade as a whole. Streams danced between the buildings, soft trickling complimenting the gentle roar of a waterfall some odd miles away.

As the group began to approach one of the largest buildings, Almira took advantage of their slowing speed to look back at the paladins. Each one seemed to be lost in their surroundings, faces in awe as they tried to comprehend this ancient civilization's combination of nature and technology, leaning far closer toward nature than expected. A warm feeling filled Almira's chest as she looked at them; that her home could inspire and strike even intergalactic travelers reflected her own occasional reflections upon the incredible endurance of her people.

Pod finally coming to a halt at the entrance to the castle, Almira murmured her thanks to her guide while patting his shoulder, his nod of confirmation dipping as she hopped off the back and onto the firmly packed dirt ground. Streams of moonlight threaded through the foliage and peeked around a thick wooden tendril that nearly covered the entire entrance. What the moonlight did not illuminate was assisted by the gentle glow of lamps along the ground. As the paladins carefully got off of the pods they continued to survey the trees along the entrance. Arden pulled up beside Almira, helmet removed and one hand attempting to smooth the tangled ponytail that swished through the air. "They're ready to receive us." His voice was hushed, as though to not disturb their guests as they surveyed the nearly magical, soft air around them.

Almira nodded in confirmation. "Just father?"

"Alastrine and Akil as well."

A moment of quiet before a brief chuckle came from the duo, neither knowing who laughed first. Almira removed her helmet and began to mimic Arden's movements, attempting to soothe her shining white tresses that seemed to absorb the moonlight. "Poor things, being woken up in the middle of the night."

"It's about time they suffer like we do on a daily basis. Imagine Alastrine sleeping less that five or six vargas every night."

Almira chuckled, a breathy sound that floated through the air and snagged the attention of the captivated paladins. "He'd be even grumpier than he can already be."

Arden placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at the paladins who were finally approaching the duo, placing their sight seeing on pause. "The king is ready to receive us."

Shiro looked at the two, both had mysterious, indecipherable smiles on their faces that neither sent a shudder of unease down his spine nor put his conscience as peace. While he had been in conversation with Arden the entire ride into the crater of New Altaira, he had a distinct feeling that there were more layers to this armored prince than he had already revealed. Almira was even more mysterious, as her golden eyes seemed to pierce everything she looked at even more than her older brother, who bored a similar color in his irises. Mentally shaking his head to himself, he pushed all thoughts and observations aside, getting down to the business that lay in front of them. Copying the motions of the two, he removed his helmet as well, the rest of the paladins following suit. "Let's get this done then."

Up ahead, a set of enormous doors waited patiently. As the party approached the steps, they opened slowly to reveal a grand foyer, lit in a similar fashion to the area outside. Climbing a small flight of stairs, the siblings passed through first, leading the way with Shiro and the rest of the team close behind. As soon as they passed through the threshold, the doors slowly slid closed behind them, swinging quietly on their hinges until they locked into place, a distinctive clicking echoing through the hall.

"Uh, how did the doors do that?" Hunk was the first to pipe up, his voice slightly nervous. The rest of the group looked back at the doors, pausing for a moment. "I mean, they opened and closed, but there's no one there. I mean, this place isn't haunted or anything, right?" A few paladins groaned slightly at the mention of a haunting, and Almira could have sworn that Hunk was turning pale.

Arden's face was patient as he answered. "Usually there are guard here to open the doors during the day, but during the night they're sealed to keep most people out of the palace."

Hunk's eye twitched. "Okay, that doesn't make me feel better."

The siblings' eyes met for a moment, and another incomprehensible smile passed between the two of them. Not breaking eye contact, Almira put one hand on her hip, the other resting her helmet on the other side of her hip. "It's the wind." This time, Shiro noticed humor lining their eyes, sharing some sort of secret that he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

A moment of silence passed before the duo looked back at the group. Almira continued. "The doors are impossible to move if you don't know how."

"We can talk about that later. Introductions first."

Hunk nodded timidly, casting occasionally glances back at the door while fidgeting with his helmet. "Yeah, okay. Introductions. Then you tell me about the haunted doors you have."

Taking his comment as permission to continue, the duo strolled through the massive foyer area, the paladins returning to taking the sights in and following in suite. It was nearly impossible to predict what they were going to find in this city; given the military technologies that the native people had possessed, it wasn't hard to imagine that the city would rely on similar technologies in their everyday life. The foyer took on the appearance of a large ballroom, with the high arched ceilings and walls made out of wood. Glittering marble floors reflected the gentle lighting that shone from the walls and a massive, wooden, chandelier that hung from the ceiling high above heads. This one room alone could hold a multitude of individuals, perhaps a few hundred. Far to the left and right were corridors that assumedly lead to other places in the castle, in front of them another shimmering staircase that no one could see over the top to where it lead.

"This is the grand foyer, or the common area." Arden took a slight lead over the group, as Almira fell into step next to Shiro with a warm smile. He returned it, slightly confused at her retreat from her brother's position, but not questioning the earnest smile he received. "During the day, many nobles and courtisans take up the space. It's usually quite busy."

Almira rolled her eyes. "Busy with puffy know-it-alls that are mostly wastes of space and breath," she muttered under her breath, although Shiro heard every word and smiled briefly at her obvious discontent with the nobility. If the castle had been on fire with the nobles inside, Shiro got the feeling that Almira would have been as content as a cat to let it burn.

Beginning to ascend the stairs, Arden rolled his shoulders back. "We're entering the throne room now. Hopefully we'll be done soon."

The paladins all readjusted their posture to look more alert; the late hour of the evening and the events of the day were beginning to take a toll on them, but they made the conscious effort to look sharp before the sovereign of the planet. Almira rolled her shoulders and her neck, hoping that the introductions would be quick so she could hopefully catch some sleep before tomorrow.

But what would happen tomorrow? The abrupt thought almost made her pause in her steps nearing the top of the white marble staircase, but she moved on as her mind retreated inside itself. What would happen now that these paladins of Voltron were here? Surely she was not about to return to her normal patrol the next day.

 _The winds of change shake trees of leaves; consume yet disregard routine._

Nothing was to be the same, of this she was sure. The sudden and nearly inexplicable appearance of Voltron on their planet seemed to both promise the ever-elusive freedom that she and her kinsmen sought to achieve and the agony of war and battle. What exactly would tomorrow bring, and the next day after that? The idea was almost enough to keep her from sleeping for another week. Brushing the thoughts aside temporarily, she and the others crossed over the final step, entering the massive hallway that was the throne room.

While Almira had often ventured into the throne room for various occasions, it was a new sight to see it bare of almost all inhabitants, moonlight acting as a silken sheet that shimmered on the floors. Where most events in the throne room often left Almira dreading her entrance to it because of the throngs of cacophonous nobles and dizzying formalities, she found herself in awe of the quiet night and the running water that passed by. It was as though this moment was the only peace she would ever find in its presence, and she relished the beauty accompanied by muffled quiet.

There were few walls that lined the throne room; it was more apt to say that a few tree tendrils had wrapped their arms around the upper and outer boundaries of the room, giving its inhabitants ample view of the nature surrounding them. The multiple paths of the river surrounded them on all sides, and the giant trees that shielded the city from view of most of the sky lumbered over them gracefully, allowing a few beams of light through their canvas. The white of the marble floors further aided the glittering appearance of the room, leading to a dais on the far side, a willow tree visible far in the background.

While called a throne room, there was a surprising lack of a throne. A small bench with arm rests, made of shimmering gold was instead placed on the raised dais, aiding in the simplistic design of the room and calling focus upon the more natural elements. The real reason for the lack of a back on the stool, however, was gloriously mounted upon the back of the king, and the paladins made a double take at the vision before them.

King Khayin Almiriykh was no unimposing figure, towering with all the regality expected of a king of his nature. His posture was rigid, muscles poised as though sculpted of clay instead of flesh. Even for the late hour of the night, he was dressed in full robes, a white tunic and pair of pantaloons contrasting with the glittering gold shoulder plates and braces, along with a sandy colored sash and cape that tumbled to the ground. From under the cape spread a set of wings, each nearly as large as the man himself. Downy feathers ranging from creamy golds to sandy whites lined the massive wingspan. They seemed to be spread slightly low as a demonstration of power, not quite fully displayed, but at a degree that suggested the power that could be exhumed from them.

Stationed on either side of him stood two men, both sharing a stature and appearance of age that resembled Arden. The two were similarly clad in browns, creams, and reds, the largest difference between the two lying in their hair and eyes. The man to the right hand of the king wore scarlet locks loosely around his shoulders, crimson eyes sparkling from a face that almost mirrored the king in structure. On the other side, teal strands were secured in a high bun upon the head of a more slender face, no less sharp and mature than the other. It was harder for Almira to spot in the evening light, but she knew that cerulean irises were carefully scrutinizing the approaching party.

There was little sound save the footsteps of the group; louder footsteps for the paladins in their armor, paired with the softer, skulking, steps ingrained in the two stealth masters that led the way. Arden paused a polite distance from the dais, indicating that the rest of them should stop. The two siblings clenched their right fists to their heart, bowing at the waist before the throne. "My king father." Righting themselves, Arden gestured to the paladins, stepping aside. "The paladins of Voltron."

"We apologize for being so late." Shiro gave a curt nod to the throne, bowing slightly to compliment the gesture. The rest of the paladins silently followed suit.

"The hour is no matter." The king rose from his seat and glided forward, a vision of majesty. "The enemy of the enemy is my friend, as it is said, but even more so if it is truly the legendary Voltron." Extending his hand in a gesture of comradeship towards the leading paladin, his face only just showed the trace interest of the fleshless hand that met his own. "I am King Khayin Almirykh, of Fleogas and the Fleogan people."

"I'm Shiro, and these are the paladins. We're here to assist you however you need. The paladins of Voltron will fight with you, if you wish."

The corners of his beard lifted into a weary, yet grateful smile. "The freedom of my people from the Galra has weighed upon my predecessors for ten thousand years. It is not just my wish, but the wish of all of us that we would sail upon free skies once more."

"Father." Almira's voice, dimmed to match the burbling water just yards away, barely registered to the paladin's senses. She stepped forward, bowing her head in deference. "The paladins are unable to communicate with their leader and support out in space. They've expressed a desire to get in touch with them, as soon as possible."

It was in this close setting that Shiro, standing at the front of the group, saw the glittering gold of not just one, but three sets of eyes. Where molten gold appeared to carry from father to son, Shiro wondered at the electric yellow from expressive eyes. In comparison, Almira almost seemed more dangerous, more lethal at this close setting. He looked away quickly to the king, who seemed to look at the young woman with fondness, yet also distance. "Indeed. It would be wise to reestablish contact." Turning back to Shiro and the paladins, the smiled vanished completely into seriousness. "Our house is your own, for the time. Plans for an offensive may be discussed tomorrow," his eyes grazed over the paladins, who for all their effort must have seemed weary to some degree, "when you are well rested.

"Arden." His attention turned to his son, who bowed at the waist again. "Thank you for your speed and quick thinking. The Warpers do well to have you as their general."

"Father." Turning again, the regent focused this time on his daughter, who remained with a bowed head.

"My dearest, you do us all proud. I hear that the storm conjured was the largest yet."

Raising her head, a brilliant but slightly reserved smile burst across her face, golden eyes softening into something more exuberant than predatory. "Thank you. I am sure that there will be larger ones in the future."

Solemnly, the king nodded. "There is always room for improvement, but let us not forget to give credit where credit is due." With a dramatic swirl of his cape, he turned his back on the party and returned to the dais. "Get the paladins in contact with their leader, then let them retire for the evening. I am sure there is much to be done tomorrow."

Silently saluting again, the two siblings began to back out of the room, Arden gesturing for the paladins to follow them. Almira turned her head to look back upon the dais. The king remained with his back turned toward her, but her eyes locked with the two men, who had moved to stand next to one another. Crimson eyes twinkled in a slight smile, while the man with blue hair and eyes more enthusiastically smiled with a nod of his head. Satisfied with their response, Almira bobbed her own head before turning back toward the staircase into the foyer.

* * *

Arden stopped the group at the bottom of the stairs, giving a cheeky grin. "I think this is where we part ways for tonight. I'm not a tech genius like Almira here, so I'll catch up with you all in the morning."

Putting a hand on her hip playfully while continuing to balance her helmet in the other, Almira faked a scowl, although the corners of her lips betrayed her. "You're just saying that because you want to get more sleep."

The general playfully put his hands up, mocking surrender. "Hey, I've been busy too. It's hard work being a general, miss captain." Moving over to her, he placed a hand on her shorter shoulder, forcing her to slightly look up into his face. "You can take care of this?"

Almira rolled her eyes. "What can I not handle, brother dearest?"

Her only response was a smile and a hug. "Sometimes, I wonder myself." Parting and backing toward a corridor, he saluted the group. "Until tomorrow." The paladins half heartedly gestured similarly, turning their attention back to Almira as the general stalked off with the intention of getting as good a night's sleep as he could.

"Man, I'm beat. All this fighting and traveling's got me real tired." Lance stretched his arms up in the air, cracking his spine. "I'm still stiff from sitting so long in Blue."

"We can't sleep yet. We've got to get in contact with Allura." Lance glared at Keith, who returned the look. Shiro sighed at the antics of the duo.

"I know it's been a long day, but Keith is right. We have to get in contact with the castle." Turning to Almira, he sighed inwardly. "I'm sorry to do this to you."

Almira shook her head. "It's important, I understand. I'd feel the same if I were separated from my troops." Starting in the opposite direction from Arden, Almira turned her head toward the group as Shiro fell into step beside her. "Luckily, we have a communication tower inside the castle compound. It's not too far. Although," she paused her thoughts, surveying their armor with thought, "you'll have some jumping to do."

Pidge sent a weary but otherwise happy smile her direction. "Our suits have boosters in them. We can handle it."

A sigh emitted from Hunk as he put his helmet back on, clutching his head with his hands. "Yeah, I mean, I guess they can. I dunno, I feel like a nap might be good too."

"As soon as we contact Allura and Coran, you can sleep all you want until tomorrow."

Shiro's words stuck in Almira's head. _Until tomorrow_. There was no point in stressing about tomorrow until it arrived, and at the moment there was work to be done.

"Alright, the sooner we get there, the sooner we sleep!" With a sudden burst of energy, Lance had his helmet secured on his head and propelled himself further along the hallway with his booster pack, leaping into and gliding through the air.

"Aw come on Lance, wait!" Hunk followed suit in the steps of the blue paladin, with Pidge sighing by his side and copying their movements.

"None of you even know the way!"

"Sounds like you're gonna lose, Keith!" The words from the cocky blue pilot egged the red paladin on, as he grumbled and shoved his helmet aggressively onto his head, taking off after the trio.

"Like hell I'll lose to you!"

Almira blinked at the near childishness of their antics, turning her head at Shiro's sigh as he began to put on his helmet. Casting a sympathetic glance to their guide, he smiled apologetically and shrugged. "If we don't catch up, they'll get lost."

Playfully rolling her eyes, Almira coiled her silvery locks upon her head and slid her helmet into place. "Playing tag with a Fleogan is not a good idea."

An eyebrow raised at her comment. "How so?"

If he didn't know Almira at this point, Shiro would have slunk away from the playful grin in her face that accompanied a predatorial, sparkling look in her fiercely golden eyes. "Like I said, it's the wind. You don't play with the people who invented the game."

She vanished from in front of his eyes. Shiro blinked twice before fully comprehending what had happened in front of him as she suddenly reappeared twenty feet down the hallway in the direction that the paladins had begun chasing. The grin hadn't faded, and if anything had gotten bigger from his reaction to her sudden disappearance and reappearance. "How…?"

"We've got a race to win, don't we?"

Recovering from his shock, Shiro blasted through space to land quickly next to her, smiling back, although less enthusiastically than the woman whose yellow eyes seemed to be sending pure electricity through her limbs. "As long as I get to be on your team, I'm game."

* * *

AN: Again, please leave a review! It really helps me :)


	5. Transmissions

AN: Surprise, surprise, another chapter. I've honestly been powering through it faster than I expected, but I'm not really complaining. I have a lot to do this weekend, so I'll be uploading the chapters I've already written. I might not get to write ahead very much anymore, but we'll see how we do. Thanks again for checking in!

.

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – Transmissions**

"It's not even fair." The entire team panted as they reached the base of a particularly large tree, where Almira had landed ticks before the rest of them as they had frantically tried to keep pace with the native. Lance was sprawled out on the ground, visor removed as he sucked in breath after breath of crisp evening air. "How were we supposed to know, that Almira, is like, the devil, when she runs?"

"Never play with the people who invented the game." Even Shiro leaned a shoulder against the tree as he caught his breath, although in slightly better shape than most of the others. Eyes leering over her cat-like figure, he noticed that her breath was as regular as it would be going for a casual stroll. Her focus was turned upward as she looked to the sky above them. It was still heavily dark, as most of the lights that had been on around the castle vanished along the natural paths that had taken them to this spot. The black paladin had to wonder at how much Almira and the Fleogans were capable of; could she see something above them?

Next to Lance, Hunk propped himself up on his elbows, also catching his breath. "Okay, what was that?" All five paladins looked to their guide, who still had her head upturned toward something in the sky. She had moved closer to the tree trunk, placing a hand on it.

"Yeah, that was, pretty unreal." A moment's pause. "Uh, Almira?"

All they received was a hum, indicating her attention was partially tuned into their halting conversation. Keith righted his posture from bending over his knees, slightly hunched as he had regained his breath. "Almira, what was that? You literally vanished in air."

"Yeah! One minute she's neck and neck with me, and then the next," Lance waved his arms next to his head, "poof!"

Pidge grinned, propped in a similar position to Hunk's. "Yeah, she kicked your ass."

"Uh, she kicked all of our asses, thank you very much."

"You're the one who started the race."

"Oh yeah? Well you all joined in, didn't you, Keith?"

The group continued to bicker playfully, while Shiro removed himself from the group to stand next to Almira. She had moved a few steps back from the tree, still looking upward into the branches with her arms crossed. Shiro looked up to follow her gaze, not entirely sure what he was looking at as he gazed into the tangled and interwoven tree branches. "What's up there?"

Almira sighed. "Our destination. It looks like most of it has been shut down for the night, so we're navigating in the dark." The black visor slid away from her face, revealing a dark scowl and furrowed eyebrows. "What can you see with your visor?"

"Nothing much. It's pretty dark."

Their guide nodded. Speaking up, she addressed the entire group while still looking at the canopy above their heads. "Our destination is right above us."

The rest of the group looked up, all of them getting to their feet. Lance crossed his arms. "More running? I'm tired."

Keith bumped shoulders with him, earning a glare. "Says the person who started the race."

"Keith, Lance, cool it. We're heading up there." While the bickering was still playful in nature, worn nerves and exhaustion was starting to take a toll on the entire group, especially Shiro. The stress of leading the team without any contact with the castle was weighing particularly heavy, and even the most lighthearted antagonizing was grating on the senses. Brows pinched together, he sighed to himself as the group waited for instructions from their guide.

Almira finally removed her stare from the sky and looked back to the paladins, eyes scanning the entire group. "I'll lead the group. You'll have to follow my footsteps pretty closely, so pay attention to the person in front of you."

"Oh I'm definitely going in front of Keith. He'd purposefully trip me up and send me falling."

"Like I'd have to even try. You'd overshoot the steps yourself."

"Both of you stop it." The duo parted, huffing irritatingly at each other. Shiro glared at them, effectively shutting them up. "Just follow behind one another. Don't get too close, but don't stray too far behind."

Giving a nod to the leader, Almira closed the visor on her helmet once more, sensors detecting where to make her next moves. She just hoped that they would be able to make it up quickly and take care of their business. No matter how much of a brave face she was putting on, she was extremely jealous that Arden was probably asleep at this point.

* * *

True to her assumption, the tower had been shut down for the evening, with only a light shift of sentries at the door. As Almira vaulted the final jump up to the main gate, she removed her visor as the two guards at the door startled at her sudden appearance. "Captain Almira." The two saluted her appearance, as Shiro jumped into view.

"At ease. I've come with the Voltron paladins. We need to use the comms tower to get into contact with their support ship." The two guards nodded, one tapping into his headset as they both curiously watched the progression of the paladins jumping onto the platform.

"It's Captain Almira. She's coming in with the Voltron paladins."

The gate of the entrance hissed open, sliding into the ceiling in floor slowly. The party proceeded through the gates, receiving another salute on part of the gate guards, vanishing from view as the doors slid closed.

Inside the gate was a small courtyard, tiles in the floor overgrown with mosses and other small plant life. Almira confidently took the lead across the courtyard and up to another set of doors that quickly slid open upon sensing her approach. The paladins hurried into the main building and followed the quick pace of their guide through a series of doors that eventually opened up to their end goal.

Minimal staff was operating the communication room, but the paladins stood in amazement at the set up. The room was almost a perfect circle, with all the walls including systems of video monitors and other various screens. Most cameras were operating with night vision, watching over the castle and various other locations that were unrecognizable to the newcomers. In the center of the room was a platform, with five additional consoles rooted around its circular shape. The only man on the platform turned and greeted Almira with a smile and salute. "Almira. It's good to see you safe."

Almira smiled and strode forward onto the catwalk that extended from the door to the platform. Clasping forearms briefly, Almira stood by the man's side. "Double duty, Artus?"

The man sighed but smiled good-naturedly. "The old man was set on bringing me back to the capital, so I've been stationed here until further notice."

"It's good to have you back." Almira motioned to the group behind her. "The Voltron paladins are here. We need to get them into contact with their support ships in space." At hearing their name, the group approached the center platform, careful not to touch any of the consoles.

Extending a hand to each of the paladins, the man gave a new, still genuine smile. "I'm Captain Artus of the Tech Brigade. It's an honor to meet the paladins in the flesh."

"Artus here works closely with my department, and there's no one else I'd trust more from the Tech Brigade. It's good for us that he's here tonight."

"Actually, would I be able to help?" Pidge darted forward, shifting her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I've done a lot of work with the castle and with tech in general. I'm pretty good at working on my feet."

The Fleogan mirrored her actions, adjusting his headset. "Actually, that would be great. A lot of our staff here is gone for the night."

"I'm not so familiar with your tech here, but just tell me what to do."

Pidge set her helmet down next to Hunk as Artus directed her to one of the consoles, while Almira back away from the tech junkies at work. Lance and Hunk had sat down on the ground, while Keith and Shiro continued to take in their surroundings.

"How do you have all this tech? I thought the Galra would have stripped everything."

Almira tilted her head. "It's not a story that can be fully explained in an evening. But I suppose a good summary would be that we've been resilient. From since we can remember, the Galra have pretty much respected our spaces, so long as we don't cause too much trouble. When we make noise, they respond equally."

Keith grunted. "Doesn't seem very Galra of them. Aren't they all, 'victory or death' or something like that?"

The woman looked down at her feet. "It doesn't make much sense to me either." The edge in her eyes was lost as she looked at the red paladin in the eye, almost helpless at the thought. "In a way, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it strange. But most people take the peace at face value and don't question it."

Eyebrows furrowed on the black paladin. "No one else thinks it odd?"

Almira sighed, rubbing her temples in a soothing action. "I've talked with Arden about it, and even with Alastrine and Akil, but they don't really see much wrong. Like I said," her eyes taking a weary tone, "most people just accept that this is the way things are."

"But you don't."

Looking at the boy, the captain's heart seemed to leap in her chest at the intensity behind the red paladin's demeanor. Never before had someone taken her worries seriously, but in a stranger she had met a few hours ago she was finding more commonalities that she would have ever expected. It went to say that the entire team was surprising her at every turn and leap. Keith continued. "It bothers me too. I don't think you're crazy for doubting."

Almira snorted in amusement. "Trust me, I don't care about being crazy."

"Heeey, speaking of crazy over here," Lance had rolled onto his stomach, looking up at the three standing persons, "what was that flashy stuff back there when we were racing?"

Slightly taken aback by the change in subject, Almira shifted. "It's a technique of our people. Again," she smiled apologetically, "another long story."

"Hey." Looking at the blue paladin, she noticed a strange glint came into his eyes as a devious smirk spread across his lips. "For you, I have all the time in the world."

If she were to roll her eyes any more during the day, Almira swore that they would fall out of their sockets. "In your dreams, fly boy. But," she looked at the group, curiosity obviously piqued, "I suppose I can let you in on a trade secret.

"Legend has it that our people have been able to utilize the wind since our creation. The twin gods of the wind Aeolus and Astraeus gave us life and our wings to soar the skies, and the goddess of the dawn, Eos, gifted our fore bearers with the ability to bend the wind to our advantage. There's a saying that all our people know, but especially our warriors," Almira's eyes looked over to Artus, who was working on a console next to Pidge and showing her how to use the system, "'The wind has no master, and I am but a steward of its will.'" Keith appeared to relax at the repeat of information, smirking as he watched realization dawn on the blue and yellow paladins.

"Wait wait wait, didn't you just say that you can control the wind?" Hunk looked slightly confused, lying down on his back and staring at the ceiling.

"We don't control it, we are stewards. There are different levels of capability, represented in some of the divisions of our military." Seeing as though she was starting to lose the two on the ground, Almira directed more of her attention and focus to the red and black paladins, who were intently listening. "The most base level is the archers, who are able to channel the wind and its energy through other objects. The mid level consists of warpers."

"So that's what you are?" Shiro's assessment was more of a statement than an actual question. "You can warp through air."

The woman shifted weight over to one leg, crossing her arms. "Technically it's the ability to channel the wind around your own body, which leads to rapid crossing through space. But when you put it like that," she put a hand to her chin in thought, "I guess it really is like teleporting or warping through space."

"And the upper level?" Almira blinked at Hunk's interjection. "You said there was a base and a mid level. What about the upper?"

"Wind benders. They're able to channel and create wind without aid of an item or their own body. It's incredibly difficult to create something out of nothing."

"So you're a warper though."

"No." Almira and Keith were both caught off guard by Shiro's statement. He looked intently at Almira, expression looking like he had pieced something together. "Back when we met the King, he mentioned a storm."

Slowly, she nodded in recognition of what he was trying to say. "You're right. I'm actually a wind bender. However, Arden is a warper. He never really had the aptitude for wind bending."

Lance shook his head in disbelief. "You made that storm?"

"Well, yes."

"That thing was huge!"

Almira seemed lost in thought for a moment, reflecting on the tornado and sand storm that she had created. "Well, it was pretty large, although I was operating within specified bounds, so I could potentially have made it bigger."

Keith raised his eyebrows playfully, a faint smile on his lips. "And here I thought I was special for knowing all of that."

"What?" Lance looked at the two, who were now looking at each other with faint amusement, the look on their eyes sharing some sort of secret. "Wait, Keith knew? Why does he get to know everything?"

"You weren't stuck with him in a lion for over a varga."

Lance's jaw dropped, Keith capitalizing on the moment. "Yeah, too bad you weren't stuck in red with me, Lance."

"Wait, did you just make a joke?"

"We're ready to open a hailing frequency." All conversation was cut short at the trio turned their attention to the tech duo, Lance and Hunk getting up off the floor. "We've already encrypted it against Galra hackers, although they're probably not expecting much at night."

"The Galra know that Voltron is here on the planet," Almira smiled encouragingly at Artus. "It was wise to encrypt the line."

"Hailing the castle now. Bring the primary monitor to the front." The three workers on the lower level were typing away at their stations, bringing a visual of a blank hailing monitor to the forefront of the console. The group energy tensed as they waited for an answer, Almira herself feeling slightly on edge and anxious to meet the inhabitants of this castle.

It was only a few moments before a visual opened on the screen. Almira took in the image of a slender, yet tense woman whose focused face openly displayed stress and anxiety for a brief moment before melting into satisfaction and peace. A brilliant smile matched her pearly hair. "Paladins. You had us worried that something had gone wrong."

Shiro stepped forward to stand next to Artus, who was the first in the line of vision from the console he manned. "I guess things did go wrong, but things have worked out in our favor; we've made contact with Fleogans." Gesturing for Almira to step forward, she tapped Artus on the shoulder.

"I can take it from here. Watch to see if someone tries hacking into our signal." Nodding to his superior, Artus moved to another console to the right and brought up another terminal to follow orders. Almira gave a warm smile. "You are Princess Allura. I am Princess Almira Eos, second daughter of King Khayin of the Fleogans. It is an honor to meet you."

The smile refused to fade from her ecstatic lips as the Altean regarded Almira with warmth. "It is good to meet you. My father had been close-friends with the Fleogan people during his time."

Almira's eyebrows raised at this comment. "No interstellar travelers have made contact with Fleogas since before the Galra took over. I must admit that you look younger than one might expect."

"Allura was frozen in a cryostasis pod in the castle when Altea was attacked ten thousand years ago." Shiro entered the conversation again, causing Almira to look over at his direction. "She is the last of her people."

Sorrow filled the Fleogan's eyes as she lowered her head apologetically. "I apologize. I am sorry for your loss."

While sadness tinged the princess' lips, the smile did not completely fall. "I thank you. But I fully intend on avenging my people's deaths by ensuring that Zarkon's empire will fall."

"Yeah! Now that Voltron's here, we're gonna kick Galra butt!" Lance appeared to be charged up and filled with energy again at the established communication, forgetting his exhaustion briefly. He looked at Almira again with flirty eyes. "Don't worry, I'm here to save you too."

Keith sighed. "You mean that we're here to save the Fleogans."

"It is good to see all of you safe, paladins. Coran and I had feared for the worst when we lost our communications with you."

"Speaking of Coran," Pidge jumped in from her location at the neighboring console, "where is he?"

"He is making repairs to the castle as we speak. We've run into a small error with the particle barrier, but we'll have it up and running in no time."

"That is good to hear." Almira spoke up again, taking Allura's focus. "The paladins have already pledged as Voltron to assist us in the fight against the Galra. We were hoping that we would be able to begin preparations and plans tomorrow, with your assistance."

Shiro shifted his weight from one leg to another, crossing his arms. "It's been a long day, Allura. We're all safe for the time being, so we agreed that it would be best to get some rest before planning a massive offensive."

Seriousness returned to the princess' face, as she nodded in agreement. "While I would say that striking sooner than later is better, it has been a long day. We've moved the castle a little ways away from the planet to a neighboring asteroid belt in order to hide from the Galra sensors, so we should be safe for a while."

"If it's alright with you, our military branches are planning on meeting in," Almira paused, searching for a clock around the room before resting her eyes on a distant monitor, "eight vargas. We'd like to patch you in during that time so you'll be able to participate in the plans and offer any advice you might have."

"Captain." Artus turned from his station, prompting golden eyes to turn in his direction. "I'm detecting some attempted interference. We don't have much time until we run a serious risk of an unsecured link."

Nodding her head, she turned her focus back to Allura. "The Galra are attempting to hack our encrypted line, so we'll need to cut this short. Will you be ready by tomorrow?" Almira was immediately satisfied by the determined look from the princess.

"Indeed. We'll be waiting." Her gaze turned to the rest of the paladins. "All of you, stay safe and sharp."

"Eight vargas. Until then, princess." Punching in a few commands into the console, the image of the princess cut sharply from view, returning to a neutral black screen. A sigh escaped from her lips as she backed away from the console and allowed Artus to return to his position. "Will you there tomorrow to set up the link?"

A shake of raven locks elicited another sigh. "I'll be sending another one of our captains to assist with the set up and monitoring tomorrow. No doubt the rest of our division is already scrambling with the logistics."

"Thank you, Artus."

He sent an apologetic look to the group. "I'm sorry we couldn't maintain the signal longer. If we hand more time, we could have encrypted a much safer link, but…" The man looked over Almira's form, which had hunched over ever so slightly from exhaustion and stress, contrasting from her usually attentive and sharp posture. His voice was gentle as he looked on with empathy. "Go get some sleep. You'll be useless tomorrow without it."

The mention of sleep seemed to drain all the energy they had just put forward from their bodies, shoulders hunching ever so slightly. Almira rolled her shoulders back and clasped Artus' forearm again. "Thank you, Artus. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other."

Smiling at the captain, he released her arm and turned back to the primary console, bringing up multiple surveillance cameras and returning to the peace that had been dominating the communications tower before the entrance of their featured guests. Almira stalked towards the door, paladins following behind her at a casual pace. At least the trip back down would be easier, although she didn't know if she preferred the exhausted quiet or the rambunctious, infectious, energy that the young paladins had demonstrated on their way up.

It would have to do for the time being. Tapping her helmet for what she hoped was the final time of the evening, the captain strode across the courtyard, sleepy guests in tow. Eight vargas of sleep was more that she was accustomed to, but she was going to make every tick count.

* * *

AN: Please leave a review! Anything is deeply appreciated.


	6. The Best Laid Plans

**AN: I have a bit of a longer author's note today, but I really appreciate if you read it.**

First and foremost; I never in my wildest dreams expected more than maybe 20 people to read my story. I went into this project more for myself, to practice my writing, and to hopefully, finally, get my ideas out of my head and onto paper. When I think about stories, I usually write about 10,000 words and then get bored. Imagine to my surprise when I realized that I was finishing chapter nine, and I've definitely written over 20,000 words at this point! Although I can feel myself getting distracted, and I'm slowing down with chunking out my writing, I'm not as distracted as a I usually am. This is thanks to you who read my story; I can't thank any of you enough for even checking my stuff out. It means so much to me as a writer who often doubts my own abilities. I've never thought of myself as a creative writer, but I'm honestly enjoying myself.

I think another reason why I'm falling in love with this project is that I've invested a lot of time. I literally took a full week to develop reference pictures, lore, geographical locations, characters (about 15 so far), and whole bunch of other stuff. It's all sitting in a pretty little folder on my desktop, and honestly thank goodness I had the foresight to do such comprehensive work. I know I would have lost even myself by the fourth chapter if I didn't have everything ready to go. With that said, if you ever have any questions about background, please feel free to ask!

 **Shoutout to eyeore1994** , who gave me my first review; I'm dedicating this chapter to you for expressing your excitement in the continuation of my work. As always, please leave a review or message me! It really motivates me to keep writing.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 – The Best Laid Plans**

While their journey through the forests of the capital city the night before had been awe inspiring and serenely elegant, Shiro had to admit that the night had nothing on the shimmering, emerald, tree tops that rustled in the morning breeze.

New Altaira, as Arden had informed them that morning as he roused the now refreshed paladins from their sleep, was certainly a crown gem among all the great cities of the galaxies. The break of dawn had illuminated the expertly crafted buildings that seemed to be woven out of the tree trunks themselves, blending covertly with the environment yet boasting of careful, meticulous, planning and execution of architecture. It was a dream of artistic adaptation and survival, with the multiple fingers of the river weaving around the castle and the surrounding residences of the upper city and court.

The path to the communications tower was also now illuminated, revealing the thick trees that interlocked to create a spiraling base for the high hoisted building. No one really knew if it was more impressive that they had climbed it in the dark or now in the daylight, the mind-boggling nature of the building delighting and astonishing their senses.

It was here in the communication tower that team Voltron gathered with the generals and some of the captains of each section of the Fleogan military. Pidge was off assisting the tech team with establishing the connection with Allura and Coran, while Lance, Keith, and Hunk were engrossed in separate conversations with some of the various captains. Shiro recalled what Almira had revealed to them the night before about the ranks and individuals in the system, playing a guessing game with Arden as they waited for the meeting to start. He dully noted that Almira was not present yet, silken moonbeam beams strikingly absent from the mops of hair that consisted of every other color of the rainbow.

The meeting was taking place in another room similar in design to the communications room that the team had been in last night, although there were significantly less monitors around the perimeter. The center of the room featured an electronic, 3-D projection of the planet, slowly rotating as to demonstrate the representative dimensions of the globe. Shiro had positioned himself closest to the door with Arden, as multiple people were spread through the room, easily fitting at least forty people at the moment. He gestured to a pair of men with brightly colored hair and eyes. "Those two were in the throne room last night."

Following Shiro's line of sight, Arden smiled. "That is Alastrine and Akil, crown and second princes of the empire. Alastrine has the red hair, and is the general of the Lansild, or the infantry. Akil is the general of the Technology Brigade."

"How many kids does the king have?"

The general of the Warpers hummed in response to the question. "There are nine of us, seven princes and two princesses. My elder sister is third in age, followed by me, then Eaghan."

He nodded in the direction of a brooding man, arms crossed over a deep blue tunic. Similar to Akil, his black and blue hair was tied into a high bun upon his head, orange eyes scanning the room with apparent distaste as frown had settled over his mouth. Compared to the friendly nature that most all citizens had shown to the paladins, the grumpiness and cynical aura that radiated from his frame was fairly unpalatable. It was as though he was daring other people to bother him, most of who took the hint and restrained from any interaction as he stood by himself. Shiro raised an eyebrow at the obviously uninterested demeanor compared to the rest of the members in the room. "He doesn't seem too pleased with any of this."

"Eaghan," Arden paused, a thoughtful look coming over his words as though he was selecting them carefully. There was also a slight distaste, which seemed to match the younger prince. "He is a tactician. He is not as successful in his wind powers as the rest of us siblings, and is often bitter about his placement."

"He has quite a legacy to live up to, with you older ones all generals."

Slight unease threaded his dark limbs as he shifted weight from one leg to another, uncrossing his arms. "It is true. I fear, in the end, his anger holds him back from his true capabilities."

"There's a lot of you that hold high ranking positions in the military."

Arden's attitude shifted quickly one of defense, eyebrow quirking at the perceived challenge. "If you're wondering if it has to do with royal status, it does not. Well," he paused slightly to amend his statement, "maybe Alastrine is the exception. The crown prince almost always stands in charge of the general army, but Alastrine is truly worthy of his title of General."

"If it really stands on worthiness, then it must really hurt Eaghan."

While the only sound that reverberated from his chest was noncommittal, it was lined with a tinge of contrition. The topic was a sensitive one, and for an outsider to so quickly pick up on the subtle dynamics of the royal family unnerved Arden a little. It had been a fair question, but the touchy relationship that the brothers often had with each other and specifically with the fourth prince was rocky ground. Decided that the topic had reached a point of tension, Shiro switched back to a lighter subject. "So where does Almira stand in all of this?"

Shoulder's relaxed at the change to a more favorable topic, and arguably one that Arden was an expert on. "Younger than Eaghan, and arguable most successful out of all of us. There is no wind bender more talented than she in all of our recorded history."

This revelation sparked another connection in Shiro's mind, as he raised an eyebrow. "And she's only a captain?"

A sigh escaped from Arden, who shifted his weight again, glancing around the room to survey the individuals present. "Arguably, it is her own fault and that of jealous leaders." Stepping closer to the black paladin, he lowered his voice. "You may have noticed that few women are among our ranks."

A quick scan of the room revealed the truth in the general's statement. Aside from Pidge, there were no women in the room. Shiro looked at Arden's face, who refused to make eye contact. "Is this representative of the entire military?"

"It has nothing to do with the talent of women," Arden defended slightly, although still looking slightly remorseful and slightly embarrassed. "We have had many good women in our ranks in the past. But in our culture, women are not represented well in the military, especially the nobility. They are expected to be caretakers, not warriors.

"No one believed that Almira was talented at first. When she expressed interest in joining our warriors, she was sent to the Technology Brigade. She still holds considerable sway in their department and frequents their bases, which is why she has been held in a captaincy position instead of becoming a general."

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "And these, 'jealous leaders?'"

A smile finally broke out on his face. "She was antagonized by a jealous captain from the nobility in the Technology Brigade. She stuck him inside a tornado and refused to let him out until he apologized."

Both eyebrows rose higher. "That's very," Shiro paused for the lack of words, trying to find something suitable. Arden merely chuckled at his surprised expression.

"Almira is a free spirit. She is more than capable of advocating for herself, even when the nobility often tries to bring her down to their traditional expectations. Father made her apologize in exchange for her transfer into the Wind Benders."

Both smiled, Shiro laughing quietly. "From what I've seen from her so far, I'd believe it."

The doors behind them swooshed open, revealing an older man with a graying beard next to Almira. They both wore neutral expressions on their faces, but upon seeing the two individuals closest to the door, they relaxed into something less formal. Neither wore helmets upon their heads, although Almira wore her white tresses in a tight French braid. Shiro had to admit that, even though there was a broad range of hair colors that the Fleogan people seemed to carry, white tresses similar to his own patch on his forehead were essentially unheard of, unseen on other people. Her appearance preceded any other title she held when she entered the room, immediately identifiable by anyone from her unearthly features, even for a Fleogan. It was more apt to say that she never entered a room, but arrived at the threshold and transpierced whatever rabble was occupying the space.

"Arden. It's good to see you again." The older man accompanying Almira strode forward, his captain close in his footsteps as she surveyed the room. She gave subdued smiles to the paladins as she met their eyes, her own twinkling with energy that was sustained from a well-deserved, deep, sleep. Her regal posture had been restored from the haggard mien of the previous night, depicting a state that fluctuated between relaxation and sharp attention now that she had returned to her element, arms clasped behind her back.

Extending his arm in greeting, Arden shook hands with the older man. "Only a few hours, sir." He gestured to the black paladin beside him. "Shiro, this is General Garen of the Wind Benders."

"Ah, the paladin of the black lion." Garen extended his hand to shake with Shiro, firmly grasping his hand without even flinching in contact with the metal arm. "Almira has been telling me about you all since seeing me this morning."

Almira looked sheepish at the admission, but grinned anyway. "It's not every day a legend comes to life." She nodded in greeting to Shiro and her brother, scanning the room. "I'm guessing we're the last ones."

"But right on time." Arden gestured to the team working on the communicator that was to contact Allura. "They're finishing up with the communicator and establishing a secured line. It took a little longer today since they're trying to make it more difficult to access than last night."

The captain nodded. "I'll go see if I can help." Garen patted her on her shoulder before she slipped away from the trio of men, gliding through the populated room with ease. Shiro noted that she seemed much more rested from the night before, her shoulder set squarely upon her impeccable posture that screamed of a combination of noble training and the confidence of someone in their element. She gently rested a hand on Pidge's shoulder to alert the green paladin of her presence, easily slipping into a conversation that was unheard from across the room. Garen had turned to Arden again, engaging in another conversation.

"So, how goes things with the Warpers?"

Arden shrugged with a good-natured attitude. "As well as it can go. Menew had already shown me most of the responsibilities he had, so it was as smooth a transition as it could go."

Garen nodded seriously, turning to Shiro. "Arden here only became the General a few years ago, but he's one of the best I've seen in my time."

Shiro smiled. "Congratulations to you. I didn't know that."

The captain scratched his temple, looking slightly sheepish. "Yeah, well, it's only because our last General vanished."

A raised eyebrow and curiosity took over. "Vanished?"

The younger general looked to the elder to continue, as he sighed in a resigned fashion. "It was bizarre, to say the least. He had been assigned to a mission in one of the far-most craters for a week in order to assist with a recovery operation from a battle. We stopped receiving transmissions from him one day."

"That's troublesome." Shiro looked between the two, who now wore sorrowful looks on their face. "I'm sorry to hear that. He must have been incredible."

"He was a brother to me, and my older sister's husband. It devastated her."

"It devastated all of us. It wasn't like Menew to suddenly up and leave."

Shiro frowned. "That sounds slightly suspicious."

Arden shrugged again. "We haven't been able to assemble an investigative force. We've been busy with raids and defenses. Besides," he looked confidently at Garen, then back at Shiro. "It's what he would have wanted. He was dedicated to our cause of liberating our people."

The elder general nodded in agreement. "And thus we are here." Looking around at the room, it appeared as though the technicians in the back had finished, a visual beginning to appear as the communication link was established. "It looks like we are about to begin."

Almira left her position beside Pidge and glided over to Alastrine, who had been standing not to far away. Whispering into his ear, he nodded, turning his attention to the center of the room. "Gentlemen," he looked in Almira and Pidge's direction, "and ladies. We shall commence our meeting now." Side conversations silencing, the group turned their focus to the monitor just as the image of Allura showed up. Almira turned toward the group of Fleogans. "This is Princess Allura of Altea, and her royal advisor Coran." Nodding at the screen, she smiled. "Princess, welcome. We are glad that you are here in spirit and mind."

The face of the princess was serious and smiling at the same time, aware of the current situation and the severity of what their gathering implied. "Greetings, all. We are here to support you in the fight against the Galra, and I know that I speak for the paladins here when I say that we will do everything we can to aid you in the upcoming fight."

Alastrine turned toward the screen, bowing. "It is an honor, Princess Allura. I am Crown Prince Alastrine Liander, General of the Fleogan infantry." As the generals introduced themselves, Shiro shifted slightly, a question beginning to bubble in his mind.

Allura, however, beat him to it. After introductions had been made, she smiled. "It is an honor to meet you all." She paused slightly, as though not certain if she earnestly wanted to ask the question on her tongue. "I, don't meant to be rude, but is the King here?"

The crown prince smiled kindly. "Our King does not participate in the war effort. We believe that, once upon the throne, the King becomes out of touch with the rapid developments of our technologies and tactics as he tends to our populace. He will not participate in the battle, for his sake and for the sake of our people."

Although her brow furrowed for the most brief of moments, it quickly smoothed out on her sharp face, ever the diplomat. "Of course, I understand." Making a quick mental note to inquire about the king's status further with Arden, he watched as Alastrine turned his attention to the projection of the planet in the room. With a few clicks at a console, a second, topographical map appeared underneath its three dimensional companion. Multicolored arrows began appearing on both maps, as Alastrine cleared his throat.

"Then we shall begin. Earlier this morning in a primary meeting with the tacticians, the generals and I came to the decision that we will be launching multiple attacks at once. There are a total of eight Galra bases located on the planet, although the largest and most important base is located due north of the central mountain range, at Old Altaira." Seven red arrows prominently flashed on the map, each spread out over a vast amount of land. "As you can see, there are four bases clustered around the central mountains, and four other locations are spread out along the far-most edges. If there are no question so far, I will hand this over to Jin." The comment was aimed more towards the paladins and the Alteans, but the information was covered thoroughly.

An older man with jet-black hair pinned into a high bun stepped forward toward the map. "We decided that two waves of attacks would be the best plan of attack." On cue, the four furthest red markers began to flash. "The first wave will attack the four furthest stations at Salkhiny Süm, Feng Si, Wad Im, and Den Gio."

From across the room, a captain around Alastrine's age raised his hand. "Are they decoy attacks?"

A grimace wove its way onto Jin's lips, his age becoming more prominent with the wrinkles in his forehead. "Unfortunately, no. These attacks will be as real as the others." Grunts and murmurs of disbelief from the various captains around the room dispersed through the room, as Shiro noted that the generals and some others who he identified as tacticians looked at the map impassively. Almira's ever-perceptive eyes were narrowed in Arden's direction, searching for any signs of disagreement with the plan, but Arden's apparent poker face hid anything that his sister was seeking. It seemed as though even Almira was not in on the General's meeting that morning, and Shiro had to wonder just how much information she had in her pretty head.

Raising a hand to quiet the room, Jin continued. "The reason for the authenticity behind the attack is because we plan on drawing out reinforcements from the four larger bases at the central mountains." Matching the senior tactician's words, the other four red markers dominated the screen, much more closely aligned that the previous four. "Once we draw the reinforcements, it will open up a window for the Voltron paladins to strike the primary bases."

Alastrine stepped up again as Jin withdrew slightly from his position near the front of the group. The southernmost marker began to flash as his scarlet eyes looked at every paladin around the room with determination and confidence. "This marker here represents the temple of Doseogwan. You may recall that it was the base you attacked last night. Fortunately, they are still suffering blows from your attack, so our focus will turn from this location to the last three." Red markers flickered over three different locations, drawing the entire Voltron team's attention as they awaited their role in the offensive.

"Here's what we've planned so far. We'll need one lion to attack Doseogwan, just to ensure that it's blown into dust and unable to operate. Two teams of two lions will attack the east and west temples of Balam Sawon and Maebad Alriyh respectively. You'll have assistance and backups at each location.

"Once each location is taken care of, you'll head to the primary base at the ruins of Old Altaira. Then you'll be able to finish the job." In addition to the final marker's pulsing, visuals of the Galra headquarters began to appear in multitudes. The building was at least three times the size of the outpost that they had attacked the night before. Shiro raised his hand in question, Alastrine nodding in confirmation. "Yes, Shiro."

"How much support can we count on?"

The crown prince shared a look with Arden, who cleared his throat to gain attention. "We're still figuring out the exact numbers. We'd like to have a few Warpers and Wind Benders in addition to the other Lansild and Technology Brigade troops that will certainly be backing you."

A middle-aged man that stood close to Shiro stepped forward to speak. "We're concentrating the Archers with the first wave of attacks in order to provide the second wave with more support from the Warpers and Wind Benders. It's risky, but if we're going to take down the four bases near the central mountain we're going to need to hit the Galra fast and hard. I'm sorry I can't provide any Archers with the second wave; we're needed with the first."

Shiro nodded. "We understand. It's enough that you're giving us so many Warpers and Wind Benders."

"Any other questions so far?"

Almira raised her hand. "What sort of time frame are we looking at?"

Jin nodded curtly at her question. "The first wave plans on making contact at dawn. From there, we're expecting a delay of twenty dobashes to ensure that reinforcements have left the central bases and are unable to turn around quickly."

Murmurs of confirmation and excitement filled the room, whispers of dawn and auspiciousness reaching the black paladin's ears. He leaned toward Arden, who copied the movement, lending an ear. "What's this about dawn?"

A brief smile appeared on his lips as both their eyes made contact with Almira on the other side of the room, who was watching the two carefully. "Dawn is an auspicious time for beginning a battle; it's after the goddess of dawn and war named Eos."

"Everyone, quiet, please." The din of the room, which had grown with the excitement of the auspicious attack time, quickly settled, as the senior tactician demanded the attention of the room. "Timing is crucial in this mission, especially for you paladins.

"You will only have ten to fifteen dobashes upon arrival to ensure the destruction of the outposts. From there, you must make it to the main Galra base. If they are able to call back their reinforcements, your task only grows with difficulty."

"We have a slight problem with this plan." Arden had his attention focused mostly on Shiro, but his eyes made contact with all five paladins. "Whoever agrees to take on Doseogwan will not only be the only lion there, but they face the most difficult passage to the Galra base at Old Altaira."

Pulling up a visual on the central mountain range, the images displayed sharp cliffs and unforgiving chasms. "Going around the mountain range would be safest, but it would also take too much time. Going over it is impossible, as the space restrictor that the Galra use to prevent anything unauthorized from leaving the planet operates at the peaks of the mountains. The only other option is to go through the mountains, where the winds can become unforgivingly harsh. Even Galra pilots do not dare to pass through this area."

"I can do it." Attention turned toward Keith, who looked at the visuals with his arms crossed, mouth set in a determined line. Shiro's attention was stolen by Almira's sudden shift in weight as she crossed her arms and turned to look at him fully, curiosity and something unidentifiable threaded through her figure.

The crown prince furrowed his eyebrows. "I must warn you again that this task is dangerous. To not do so would be folly on our part."

Shiro stepped in for the red paladin. "The red lion is the most agile and strong willed out of all the lions. Plus, Keith is our best and fastest pilot. If anyone can navigate through that mountain range, it's him."

Whispers sounded through the room as Alastrine nodded his head in confirmation. "We will leave it to you then." Moving his position, he stood next to the map in a way that allowed him to easily look between Allura and their plans. "This is the part where you come in, Princess Allura. As soon as the three central locations have been subdued, the majority of the troops will move to march on the base at Old Altaira. Once the firefight begins there, we would appreciate it if the castle could aid us."

Jin stepped in again to the conversation, bowing his head in respect to the noble woman. "We understand that your entrance will be late in the offensive. However, we need to ensure that our odds of winning at that point outweigh the risks of failure. We cannot ask you to enter our planet's gravitational pull, otherwise we run the risk of trapping all of you here with little chance of success."

"I understand. However, I do have a few questions." The primary speakers nodded in respect, patiently waiting to hear her words. "There is a chance that the Galra will call for support. How do you intend on attacking that problem?"

"A sharp observation." Jin cracked a smile at the princess' forethought, obviously pleased that she was not only asking questions, but also extremely valid and crucial ones at that. "Akil?"

The blue haired, second prince made his way into the visual, bowing out of respect. "Our plan is to devote a seventh of our Technology Brigade forces to manning our communications and disruptions of Galra tech. By having a permanent staff spread throughout the planet, working specifically on communication related problems, our plan is to keep Galra communications down while encrypting our own lines in order to catch them by surprise."

"To be honest, we could probably devote fewer people to this task," Alastrine admitted, looking at his younger brother for confirmation. "However, this is a crucial element to our plan; if reinforcements are called, then our success rate drops infinitesimally."

Shiro nodded in satisfaction to the proposed plan. It was a sound idea to have constant control over communication lines, and it was worth sacrificing a few more bodies on the field for such a crucial, behind-the-scenes job. Allura acknowledged the explanation with a curt nod. "My second question is more of a request. I would like to decide when the castle enters the battle."

Most of the commanders stuttered, including the paladins. Shiro noticed that Almira was making her way around the edges of the room toward his direction, taking advantage of the mild disruption to move positions stealthily. He mentally shook his head in amusement at his own thoughts; since when did Almira ever display any movements that were uncalculated or clumsy? Every move was intentional with her, and as she slid into place on the other side of her brother, she noticed his eyes on her. A small smile complimented her swirling eyes of thought, carefully concealing any emotions of the meeting. He was going to have to make it a point to find out what her thoughts were after the meeting; she had barely said a word or uttered any sounds to indicate any emotions, but to Shiro, her input was valuable as a skilled warrior.

Allura continued, silencing the room with her next words. "I understand that there are risks to this battle, and I understand your concern for my wellbeing and becoming grounded on the planet. I will heed your plan when you say that the castle's entrance will not be until the assault on Old Altaira begins, but it is ultimately my decision of when and how I assist the lions and Voltron."

Her utterances had not been predicted by anyone, as a few captains continued to whisper about her boldness, but the general recovered quickly. Jin lowered his head again in deference, without a hint of sarcasm or insult. "As you wish. We shall respect your decision."

Alastrine began to zoom in on the images of the primary Galra base, bringing up visuals of the layout of the stronghold. "For the sake of Princess Allura and the paladins of Voltron, we will skip to the details about the final assault as to save time; the rest of our troops can be briefed separately, what plans do not involve the lions, as we are on a time limit with our encrypted line. Eaghan, you have the floor."

The prince that Arden had pointed out earlier to Shiro sauntered forward confidently, spreading the visuals Alastrine had pulled across the room, in order for everyone to see. "As soon as the lions reach Galra headquarters, they'll take care of the larger weapons, such as the ion cannons. It's imperative that the heavier guns are destroyed first in order for Fleogan troops to have less to worry about." He swiped to expand a visual on one of the highest towers. "This is an air vent shaft, and one of the only entrances to the entire compound that isn't heavily guarded. While the primary forces will attack the outside, a team of Wind Benders and Warpers led by Arden will infiltrate the inside of the base to destroy it from the inside out."

Arden raised his hand. "Any plan for how to move through the compound?"

The younger prince's face flushed slightly at the question. "Well, no, not yet."

The former grinned, an easy going look on his face. "Just wondering. It's fine."

"It is not fine yet, but rest assured that we will have a plan for that specialized unit by noon." Jin intervened for the flustered prince, who stepped down in deference to his commanding officer. "The most important things for that team to know are that they will be responsible for taking down the command center, the high ranking commanders, and neutralizing any other enemies." Shiro looked closely at the young prince, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment in comparison to Arden's easygoing façade. Almira was shooting arrows at her golden-eyed sibling, eyes narrowed with discontent, at what exactly had the black paladin slightly confused. Jin continued, not noticing the multiple exchanges in the room. "If that is all, we will break into smaller groups to review specifics."

Alastrine turned his attention back to the screen where Allura looked on with intensity and satisfaction. "If you have any more questions or have anything to add, I can answer them."

Blue eyes looked out over the room at the paladins, who all looked on with smiles on their faces. With the noise in the room growing with the chatter among the captains and generals, it was nearly impossible to communicate any specifics to the entire crew without yelling over the din, so she settled on a confident smile. "I have nothing else. Tell the paladins that I look forward to future communications."

Alastrine nodded serenely. "We will keep you updated with any new pertinent information." Closing the communications, he addressed the crowd of warriors. "We are dismissed for the time being. We will call group specific meetings beginning in three vargas."

Taking the signal to leave, various cliques began to exit the room together, chattering vibrantly as they walked along and nodding in respect to the Voltron paladins they passed. Shiro saw Almira grab Arden's elbow in a subtle manner, her head motioning toward the door. The general smiled widely at Shiro and the rest of the paladins, who made their way over to their leader. "We aren't needed for now, but Almira and I thought it might be useful for you to see how our branches operate. We could head down to the battle simulators until the next wave of meetings start."

"If it's not a bother, that would be great."

Almira grinned deviously. "Oh it'll be great once you see me kick Arden's ass in the simulations."

A playful eye roll accompanied a playful yank of a silvery white braid, the owner of said braid yelping and snatching it into her hands protectively, glaring at the offender. She sniffed, turning her head away in disdain as she massaged her smarting scalp, the elder grinning in his success. "How can you say that when you know you'll be the one eating my feathers?"

"Says the rusty old man who hasn't been in the simulation since he got a pretty little title and a not so pretty ego boost."

Keith crossed his arms, a playful smirk crossing his lips. "You should pay attention, Lance. Their insults are actually good."

"Hey! My insults are perfectly fine." An eye twitched as Lance pointed an accusing finger at the red paladin, suddenly connecting the dots. "Wait, did you just make another joke? Who's this new Keith?"

With nerves and senses refreshed from the exhausting night before, it was easier to accept the playful bickering between the two rivaling paladins. Shiro was thankful for the night of sleep they had all gotten, making it easier for everyone to accept their situation and adapt. "A tour would be great. I think it's a good idea to see who and what we're working with."

"And I'd love to see all the tech you're working with!" Pidge had rejoined the group, her eyes getting starry as she began to obsess over the technology that the Fleogans had. "Even the communications tech was simple but effective; just imagine what the weaponry looks like!"

Arden chuckled. "Then it's a plan. We'll head down to the battle simulator." Starting for the door, the paladins began to file behind, talking animatedly with each other. Shiro paused as he noted Almira's thoughtful and sorrowful gaze looking at something in the room.

Following her line of sight found the fourth crown prince staring at their group in a dejected and jealous fashion, still fuming as before. Upon noticing Shiro's attention, the boy turned his attention back toward a conversation between Alastrine, Akil, and Jin, none of the three commanders noticing the visual interaction between the two parties. By the time Shiro returned to look at Almira, she was falling in step with Keith as they left the communications tower, nothing about her spirit or demeanor giving away her thoughts. Following the group that was now closely bonding, he considered the brief look Almira had worn while looking at her tactician brother. What exactly had happened for Almira to don such a concerned look for even a moment?

He thought back to their interactions the night before and the questions that had drifted unanswered in the air; the scrutiny of the Galra's inexplicable and abnormal move to allow the Fleogan people to not just survive, but flourish under their command; the sudden disappearance of the General of the Warpers; and now the concern of Almira over the fourth prince, whose anger seemed to go beyond mere jealousy at his rank. There were too many secrets, too many unknowns that were floating through the air, and the lack of answers to such critical events left Shiro with a sense of unease in his chest.

And yet, he still considered the fact that there were fewer secrets around the royal duo who led them out of the communications tower and across the courtyard, who somehow had become the primary link between Voltron and the Fleogans. It was becoming difficult to remember that less than a day ago, he had almost considered the appearance of Arden's face on a hacked link to the lions a potential sign of a trap. Almira had been even more suspicious, the sharpness of her features likened to a bird of prey or some sneaking predator who analyzed their prey before snapping jaws without warning. The fact that the golden-eyed duo had woven themselves into team Voltron was undeniable; that they were becoming a source of trust was almost impossible to explain. For all the secrets that the planet harbored, Arden and Almira stood as an exchange, giving freely all they had to offer.

Shiro followed the group out, watching as Keith and Almira began to talk with one another. Their dialogue was indistinguishable over the noise that carried through the hallways of other conversations, but the leader saw her head lean in closer to his shoulder, a raised eyebrow and smirk along with some sort of quip enough to break a brief smile over the red paladin's typically stoic face. For all of Almira's intimidating build and appearance, there was no doubt that the paladins were comfortable in her presence and accepted her as an ally and friend. Her presentation as the ever vigilant and composed captain was fracturing ever so slightly, allowing them to see a more vibrant, playful, and even sarcastic personality beneath carefully crafted stoicism.

As though noticing someone's attention on her, Almira glance backward toward Shiro, making contact and giving a shy smile, focus returning to Keith just as quickly as he scratched his neck sheepishly and gave a reply that was indistinguishable from his distance. The paladin of the Black Lion smiled gently as he watched the team following Arden's figure at the front. Those questions could be answered later, after the war looming on the horizon was defeated and won. For now, he was content watching his team learning and interacting with the natives who were beginning to seem more and more like friends they had known since their lions had taken off the ground.

* * *

AN: Please, pretty please, leave a review! Literally anything; it could be just a couple words. It keeps me going and pushes me to write more for you all!


	7. Veneration

AN: I'm getting really busy with school this week and I need to take more time soon to straighten out some of the things happening on the back burner with this story, so here's a nice chunky story. I swear I'm not bad with fight choreography... I just have lots of improvements to make and things to learn about it.

Happy Monday!

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – Veneration**

By the time the Voltron group and their two guides arrived at the training center, the battle simulators were up and running at maximum capacity, almost all forces inside the city spending their last afternoon brushing up on and perfecting strategies, or running mock simulations against forces they would be facing in one day's time. Even Almira, who often found herself in the simulation rooms, was impressed at the sheer number of cadets and officers who slaved away at last minute preparations and drills. The flurry of activity was almost unprecedented in her memory; the last time a similar situation had occurred, Arden hadn't yet joined the Warpers or any section of the military, for that matter. Nerves began to flutter in her stomach at the connotations of such a bustling building, but she shoved them down and away from her mind. The last thing she needed was her meager breakfast reappearing in front of their guests.

The team of seven made their way to the upper level of the building, the number of people significantly decreasing as they rose to the top. As the group exited the elevator and walked around the observation deck that ran along the perimeter of the building, they began to take in the magnitude of the entire building. The entire building was visible from the top down, as the interiors of each room ranged from what appeared to be flight simulators to sparring rooms, each filled to the limit. Others individuals ran between the hallways that snaked between each room, a carefully crafted maze that connected the widely varying tapestry of training rooms. The glass paned ceiling directed dust motes to drift lazily through the brash afternoon sun, the clamor of the bottom floor rising through the room to create a static channel of white noise, nothing quite indistinguishable aside from the cries and grunts of those locked in duels or savoring a success at the simulations. Almira regarded the room with an avuncular manner; she recognized none of the individuals down below from the Wind Benders, noting that most of her unit were preparing in the other cities or were likely arriving in the capital as they stood on the balcony.

Most of her childhood and early life was spent in the palace, but the training grounds in New Altaira were nearly equal in a competition for her time. After her mother had passed, Almira spent years at the heels of the second queen Isolda Llewelyn and her two children, Lavena and Arden. It was because of this loss that she had latched so quickly onto Arden in particular, who was apt to spoiling her and sneaking her into sparring sessions with his comrades, the military filling a part of her heart where familial ties were drifting quickly. He often liked to boast that she had been piloting ships in the battle simulators since she could walk, but Almira preferred settling on her entrance into her military career during a time where she required a support system that went beyond a stepmother and half siblings who were busy with their own jobs and duties.

It was not as though she had abandoned her family; they had several ties that chained her closely to the royal compound. She was undeniably raised as a princess, being taught diplomacy and the intricacies necessary to navigate an ever changing, ever gossiping, court of nobles who attempted to invade and grasp any portion of her private life. The desperate power struggle was familiar, repulsive, and ingrained her being as she continued to advocate for herself, her own position in the military often countered in what seemed to be a pathetic manner as she swatted jealous nobles away like a cat that disregarded a planter pot. Arden was always quick to remind her that, no matter how hard she insisted upon her life and dedication to the military, courtly ties reflected in her life no different than the image of the sky reflects unsteadily in a vat of water. Underneath the carefully constructed persona of a warrior, she was ever the diplomat and trained princess.

She watched as the paladins took in the atmosphere, standing close to the protective railing to see the activities below as excitement trembled in their faces. Shiro appeared to look beyond the grandeur, intent on observing the specifics of battle as the spars below continued flawlessly, ever the commander and sharp observer. The group had moved into a line along the railing, Arden placing himself next to Shiro on the end of the line, while Almira had wiggled between the black and red paladins. She looked over to the others, who were engrossing themselves in a conversation about the battle simulators, recollecting a time when they had been under apparent similarities. Keith seemed to drift between their conversation and his own thoughts as he watched the activities below them with an interest similar to Shiro.

Arden took all the paladins into his view. His voice carried an enthusiastic tone, being in an area that was his element. "This is the training building. You can see over on the far left of us where the tech simulations are." He motioned to a few rooms that appeared to have partially deconstructed ships and interior rooms to scale of larger aircrafts. "The rest of the rooms are sparring rooms."

Almira folded her arms and leaned against the balustrade, watching a particular room with two teams of two as they appeared to dance around one another, a deadly match of stamina and strength being tested. A sigh escaping through her nose; she knew that if not for their five esteemed guests, she would have been down in the simulations and sparring rooms with the others. It was only right that she practice like everyone else, aside from the fact that her heart sang with the swinging of her blade. The practice of battle was her career and escape, her love, pride, and joy.

And yet, she was unable to find it in her heart to be bitter about her current situation. She looked at the four paladins to her left, making eye contact with Keith and feeling a contented ray of light slide down her spine at the warmth in his stormy eyes. All at once, she was reminded of her position as a diplomat and the once tumultuous emotions she harbored for her royal rank. Like the gale of Keith's gray orbs, she seemed to diminish in cynical thoughts about the ground upon which she stood in the moment, wholly content in the situation. Side by side with the members of Voltron, she counted herself lucky to stand among such legends. Mentally, she brushed that thought aside. There was luck in the process of where she was standing at this moment, but in reality her dual positions of being a royal member and being a highly valued captain of the army had placed her in her current situation. How could she reject her royal status now that it had put her in the companionship of such a dynamic, diverse, group of allies?

But they weren't just allies. Tearing her gaze from the striking red paladin, she looked in the other direction to the duo of commanders. They were content to critically observe the cadets below from their position, sharp eyes seeming to never miss the twitch of a muscle as it regarded its next move. For the first time in her life, Almira felt blessed to have dual citizenship in two diverse subcultures of her people. Standing among the paladins and her brother, she knew that there was no place she would rather be; a sense of empowerment flooded through her body. In that moment, standing in the filtered afternoon sun and sweat filled arena, she felt that she could do anything. Any doubts and anxieties for the following morning had drained away in the positively blessed feeling that enveloped her mental and physical states of being.

"So who exactly is down there?" Shiro had crossed his arms, his question directed toward either native on the side of him. Every fighter was dressed in a form-fitted, black, suit with black boots. Some wore black gloves, and others had colorful additions of bright fabric to differentiate themselves from the group, although it was difficult to tell if the personalization had any meaning to anyone beside the wearer.

Arden copied Shiro's movement and Almira stood upright from her place hunched over the railing, both looking down at the groups below them. "There aren't any Wind Benders or Warpers, if that's what you're asking. It's mostly the Technology Brigade and the Lansild using the building right now."

"If you look over to the far-most right room, there's a few members of the Archers practicing." The entire group turned their attention in the direction that Almira pointed at with a slender finger, watching in wonderment as one of the members in the sparring room waved a hand in the direction of someone across the room. The gun in their hands mystically flew through the air, landing in the conjurer's grip as they quickly adjusted to fire on their enemy. As they continued to watch from above, the pattern of weapon stealing seemed to jump between people, multiple people practicing at a time.

"Whoa, that's sick." Lance spoke for the entire group as they nodded their heads in concurrence with his casual remark.

Almira continued, her eyes eventually straying to return to the room as a whole. "Most of our units are spread throughout the planet. Our units are the smallest because of our specialization, so we tend to operate in two or three man cells on a daily basis." Another scrupulous intake of the room confirmed that there were no other Warpers and Wind Benders aside from the dynamic, gold eyed, duo, and she regarded this information with a slight sigh. It had been a while since she had seen some of her men, and the knowledge that the next time would be on the battle field seemed to bring back anxieties of the following day.

A look from Pidge expressed slight disappointment. "So we won't be able to see them in action until tomorrow? I thought you brought us here to see how the two groups operate since we'll be working with them?"

Looking at her elder brother, she saw a familiar glint of deviousness from the corner of his face, knowing instinctively what he was about to suggest without speaking a word. Rolling her eyes, she knew better than to ruin Arden's thunder. The tone of her voice was laced with exasperation at his dramatics, but also a confidence and devilishness of her own. "Any suggestions, Arden?"

Clapping Shiro on the back, he stepped away from the railing toward the wall, allowing him to see all the paladins and vice versa as they took in the wicked smile on his lips. "If I didn't know you any better, Almira, I'd say that you were offering to fight me."

Mischief no longer contained, Almira turned her body to her brother, a full-blown grin on her lips matching that of the general. The electricity that sparked between the two was tangible to the paladins, hair standing on end as the duo regarded each other in a manner similar to two predators stalking their prey. While they appeared playful enough, there was still a feral look in their eyes, sending shivers down spines. "I did say that I would kick your ass in front of the paladins, you rusty crone."

A mocking hand placed over his heart, Arden sighed dramatically. "You wound your favorite brother, dear sister." He only received another eye roll as she stalked from her position toward the elevator that had brought the team to the top level. Arden winked at the group. "Stay here and enjoy the show. We'll be back." The elevator doors slid shut, leaving the paladins by themselves in the upper levels.

Hunk looked at the team, a distressed look coming across his face. "Okay, why do I get the feeling that this is going to get dangerous?"

"We're in a controlled environment, relax Hunk." His companion next to him crossed his arms, looking between Pidge and Shiro for confirmation. "Nothing bad's going to happen, right?" Without a response, he looked desperately at the group, eyes darting back and forth. "Right?"

Pidge shrugged, looking interested but slightly apprehensive as she spotted the duo emerging from the elevator and walking side by side through the maze of corridors below. The confidence in their strides made it difficult to tell if it was because of their knowledge of the ground floor, or in their abilities to tear the other apart. Pidge guessed it was a mixture of both. "We are in a controlled space, so it's hopeful that the rooms have been designed to withstand a lot."

Below them, the duo stopped in front of the largest sparring room, opening the doors and hailing the users of the room. Dialogue unavailable, they appeared to converse and bargain with the users inside for a few moments, who seemed hesitant to leave. Another moment had the cadets running out of the room, excitement on their faces as they began grabbing anyone in the hallways and pulling them in their direction. Groups of people began to make their way to the observation deck, as Almira and Arden began setting up the room, seemingly oblivious to the actions beyond the walls.

As waves of Fleogans began to flow into the upper observation deck, the paladins drew closer together, creating more space along the railing for the newcomers. A tall figure with handsomely dark skin and a shaved head moved to stand next to Shiro, where Arden had stood not moments before, a brilliant flash of teeth accompanying a genuinely open demeanor. "The paladins of Voltron; so the reports were true."

Shiro nodded, extending a hand toward the friendly man who returned the gesture and shook his forearm firmly. "I'm Shiro, paladin of the black lion."

"It is an honor, sir. I hear that you are accompanied by General Arden and Captain Almira during your time here?"

The paladin nodded, other leaning in closer to the conversation. "Yeah, they've been great hosts." The duo looked down into the arena again, where the two subjects had donned black helmets and were picking through a weaponry closet, apparently bickering as Almira's arms remained crossed, while Arden rifled through the weapons. Shiro looked to the newcomer, who also had his eyes trained on the duo below them. "I guess a lot of people want to see them fight."

A chuckle escaped his lips, mirth soaked eyes still trained below. "The last time the General and the Captain sparred was before she had attained her title. She was a different woman then, but no doubt a fierce competition for Arden."

"So things can get pretty competitive then." Shiro recalled the sparks that had flown between the two whenever they had mentioned the battle simulator, being playful yet serious in a way that inspired terror and unease among even the most hardened warriors. The man beside Shiro looked him in the eyes, dead serious.

"My friend, you will find no other pair so equally matched in determination and skill. The word itself looks to them for inspiration."

Arden had finally settled on a small dagger, while Almira lugged out a two handed sword, the ease of which she handled it distracting from the fact that its size was over half her own. To the paladin's surprise, the two exchanged the weapons before sealing the weapons closet and stalking to opposite ends of the arena, both testing out the weight and getting a feel for the weapon in their hands. Keith looked to the newcomer, leaning forward over the railing to look at his dark face and umber eyes. "Is this normal for them?"

His face trained on the red paladin. "To choose one another's weapons? Yes. Part of the reason why they are masters of their craft is because they challenge each other in the most ridiculous ways." While sarcasm tinged his voice, where Keith was certain that had it been Almira, her eyes would be rolling, there was a sense of respect for the odd custom between the two revered commanders. He looked at Almira, spellbound as she tossed the small dagger from hand to hand, throwing it in the air and turning her body around once before catching it with the opposite hand with ease, practicing for the fight. She was in her own zone, focused solely on herself and her equipment, Arden doing the same on the other side of the arena.

The Fleogan continued. "Most everyone looks up to them. They are both legends in the field for their work at the front lines, unlike most other royal members who have had histories of commanding from the capital." He paused as the two below began to wrap up their testing of their weapons, giving a brief nod to each other to signify their completion before setting up their stances. "We would die for them. They have given their lives to serve us."

Keith looked briefly at the handsome man before turning his focus back to the arena, the battle about to begin as the duo sized one another up. From what he knew about Almira, the man's statement was the same for her, as well as for Arden he imagined. Their men might be willing to die for their commanders, but he knew that Almira had more than willingly tried to abandon her royal life for the army. He sighed internally; every time he thought that he was getting closer to figuring out exactly who Almira was, more information would come up to complicate the picture. She was as complex as she was stunning, throwing almost everyone for a loop whenever she spoke or made a move. She was caught between the typical life of a noble princess and that of an entrepreneur who sought to take control of her own destiny.

He thought about the fierce looks that she often wore, and wondered what exactly was going on behind the black mask that camouflaged the brilliant eyes and smile that often captivated everyone around her. After a look at the coiled posture, preparing to strike, he realized that he didn't have to question; he knew well enough that those eyes were ready to spring with deadly force. Along with the rest of the observers, they held their breath in suspense as they waited to see which predator would make the first move.

* * *

Almira waited impatiently as Arden took his time to search through the weapons storage, crossing her arms and attempting to burn a hole in his back with gold lasers. The visors on the helmets were semitransparent; a far distance and reflected light on the surface ensured that observers were unable to read their faces. At this close range, however, it was easy to see one another's features through the protective glass, especially their eyes that radiated from the dark material. If Arden had turned around, he would have been able to easily read the impatience in his sister's eyes. This wasn't the first time that he seemed to antagonize her with a long wait as he sifted meticulously through the weapons.

 _Why do you get to choose my weapon?_

 _Because sometimes, you don't get to choose what you fight with._

 _That's dumb._

 _Well tell me what happens if you lose your lance? What will you fight with?_

 _I'll just blow them away._

 _And when you exhaust those powers?_

 _…_

 _You can't rely on your powers too heavily, especially when you're outnumbered. By fighting manually, you conserve energy for when you truly need it._

 _Whatever._

 _You're just mad because your big brother is right again._

 _Ass._

 _There'll come a day when you'll come out on top. You're bright enough, Almira. You just need the training. Come on, it's your turn to pick my weapon._

The resurfacing of the tender, bittersweet memory from her childhood brought a smile to her face, even as Arden seemed bent on wearing into her patience. She had been ferocious as a child, bent on proving herself even at the expense of cautious thinking. In the end, Arden was right; with time and training, she had come out on top as one of the leaders in her field, exhibiting the right amount of tact and tenacity when needed.

But sometimes, she was still a stubborn, impatient, child at heart.

"Can you hurry up?"

The playful hum that rumbled from his chest along with a chuckle only ruffled her feathers further, but she inhaled slowly, exhaling and exhuming her irritation, knowing that the elder sibling thrived off of her impatience. "Come on, Arden. We seriously don't have all day. We have the specialized meetings coming up in a varga."

Straightening himself, he turned around to reveal a six-inch dagger in both hands, a chershire grin on his features. "Alright, alright. Your turn." Brushing past his hulking figure, nimble hands sifted through a few shelves before plucking a gleaming claymore from the pile, evoking a raised eyebrow from the other party. "That was fast."

"That's because I was watching you destroy everything in your path as you tried to find the most inconvenient weapon ever." Extending the weapon, the duo exchanged their chosen weapons, eyes raking over the surfaces. "Any limitations?"

"How about not destroying the arena?"

An eye roll followed predictably at the vague answer. "Define destroy."

"Remember that one spar on Di Er? Not that."

The two shared a look, grinning and grimacing at the same time. The sparring session had involved Almira and another Wind Bender captain at the time, and it was needless to say that the duo got carried away. So engrossed in the duel, they realized too late that they had ripped panels off of the sparring arena walls and ground, creating deadly whirlwinds that had stripped the room bare and had cut into each other's bodies. Almira still had scars along her arms and back from the incident, touching a particularly long one on her left bicep in recall of the event. "Keep the room intact then."

Turning away from each other and heading toward opposite end of the room, the duo began to test the weights of their weapons, rapidly determining strategies and calculations in their head as how to approach the spar. Almira had to chuckle at the choice of weapon; it had been years since Arden had sparred with her, the last time her primary weapon being the standard lance of the infantry. Her time as a cadet had prepared her for the slender weapon commonly used by most military persons, but after being promoted to more covert operations, Almira had found the tool too bulky for her needs. There was no way for Arden to know that she had switched to a combination of using a Dao and Xiphos, giving her a slight advantage. He had obviously thought to force her to rely on her speed and flexibility, something she had perfected over the years. Giving him a claymore only made him slower in comparison, an ideal situation that tilted slightly in her favor.

She tossed the dagger in the air, twirling around in a maneuver she had learned during her time in close combat with Galra. It was more showy than anything, but effective in confusing enemies in close quarters. Snatching it out of the air with her left hand, she looked up to see the growing crowd that had gathered along the top observation deck, standing alongside the paladins. Almira would have been lying if she said that she hadn't expected to draw such a crowd. During her time growing up, her presence in the battle simulators had become commonplace, along with her spars with Arden. Despite the dry period that had occurred while the duo had climbed their respective ranks, moving from crater to crater in compliance with their orders, their legends of their infamous battles still circulated the military. It filled her with a sense of pride to know that her legacy was already established, drawing from the excited murmurs that had moved from the lower levels to the upper. Eyes drawn to the paladins, she felt the intensity of tempestuous eyes on her figure, locking her in the eye of the storm as focus and determination filled her being. She knew that for all the banter that Arden and she had suffered over the past few ticks, the battle would be heated, kindness temporarily passed to the side. Giving a last twirl of the dagger, she gripped it firmly, turning to face Arden and readying her stance.

Neither figure moved, both analyzing the stance that the other held. Arden held the claymore in front of his body, knees bent in preparation for any assault that might instantaneously encroach on his position. Almira knew that he was counting on her striking first, ever the impulsive and feisty warrior as a child. But those times were gone, as she stood up straight, giving a relaxed impression if no one had paid attention to the wire that threaded her body in an alert fashion, her feet balancing on the balls in preparation to quickly shift her weight.

Each tick seemed to drag on, silence encroaching on the arena and even passing up into the upper levels, audience members falling under a hush as every muscle in the building clenched in anticipation. Arden broke into a smile that only Almira could see, a neutral expression on her face. "I see that the lesson of patience has finally weaved its way."

"Time changes everything, brother mine."

"Then allow me to take the lead." With his words, the general vanish through the air, reappearing in front of Almira in a blink of an eye, sword prepared to swing down upon her figure. It was predictable move, one that was common among Warpers and Wind Benders to flash in front of their stunned enemies, but the woman reacted instinctively, rolling to her left in order to dodge the crushing swing that dented the floor. She would have to capitalize on the weighty swings that sapped the muscles, her body crouching on the floor before quickly warping behind his figure, a leg poised in a roundhouse kick to his head.

Sensing her position, Arden ducked his head and twisted his body to grab her leg, defense wide open. He flung her body toward the wall of the room, taking the opportunity of her flight to grab and readjust his hands on the hilt of the claymore, chasing after her direction. However, Almira had already landed on the wall, feet sticking out and absorbing the shock as she prepared herself to rebound. Launching her body across the room and disappearing in a flash, Arden's sword once again struck the area where she had been, another dent registering in the space.

Her catlike figure appeared halfway across the room, crouched in a low position and golden eyes waiting for the next move, the next opportunity to strike. Regaining his balance, the general suddenly threw the claymore through the air in her direction, catching Almira slightly off guard at the reckless move as she instinctively rolled to her left again. This time, Arden was waiting, appearing by her side just as she finished her roll, grabbing her ankle and redirecting her body once again into the air, this time directly above him. Waiting briefly for gravity to bring her back in his direction, he aimed a kick in her general direction but was met one of her hands, bodies slamming together aggressively. To his surprise, he was met with a force equaling his own, a shock considering the differences in physicality between the duos.

Capitalizing on his shock, Almira succeeded in stabbing his leg before dashing away to recover. The weapons inside the room ensured that the edges of all weapons were blunt enough to abstain from cuts and other bloody wounds, but Arden clutched his hand to the spot, knowing that a bruise was already forming underneath his uniform. He chuckled a bit, grabbing his claymore and readying himself again. Almira's face was still carefully neutral, neither displaying her nerves at being tossed so carelessly into the air nor her satisfaction at landing the first blow, her stance still low to the ground like an animal. Preparing again, the duo this time launched simultaneously, bodies and weapons crashing together in a flurry of obliterating intent.

From a far away view, the battle looked similar to a panther roughhousing with a domesticated black cat, the larger hulking figure of the wild animal almost amusing the smaller figure, who darted nimbly through the large gaps that the other provided. As the duel wore on however, the panther began to take things more seriously, attempting to snatch the little figure in its jaw or trap them under his paws. But the nimble kitten continuously evaded, quick on its feet and constantly raking its claws over the larger, more exposed figure of the titan. The smile faded from Arden's face as it morphed into something of intense focus, Almira's detached expression even breaking to show intense contemplation as she doubled her efforts to stay one step ahead.

Even the spectators from far away in the sky were quiet in their murmuring, matching the stoic and intense tone that the battle had ascertained. The five paladins stood in focused reverence for the matching of wits and brutal physical exertion and mastery of their individual strengths that they continued to exemplify. Even Shiro, whose hand-to-hand combat was stellar in every manner, was absorbed in the way that Almira especially integrated her weapon into a more martial artistic approach. He was certain that after all was said and done, he wanted to learn a few moves from the apparent master.

But the battle was wearing on the duo, and as the minutes wore on both were beginning to pant from the exertion on their bodies. Arden had finally managed to strike the lithe figure on the back with his pommel in addition to nicking her side twice, while Almira had succeeded in landing a punch on his temple. As the two began to tire, Almira capitalized on another opening, flashing to the side and delivering another swift roundhouse kick that socked his right shoulder, forcing him to stumble and drop his hand from the sword. She flashed away quickly, moving to the other side of the room as the two caught their breath. Arden laughed wearily, although his eyes were twinkling with satisfaction. "You've learned quite a bit since last time."

Almira put her hands on her knees, feet still prepared to dodge at any given moment. "I told you that you'd be rusty." Sucking in a deep breath, she forced herself to slow her breathing, standing upright and readying her dagger in front of her again, eyes raking over Arden's figure but refusing to attack.

"How do you feel about some good old hand-to-hand?"

Pausing for a moment, Almira contemplated the offer. For all her life, she had never been able to defeat Arden, especially at hand to hand. He always seemed to know how to counter properly, how to find all of her openings before she even had a chance to identify his own. She looked at her dagger briefly; that was a long time ago. Never in all their battles had she lasted this long against him. There was potential that she could still win. The desire to win against him was stronger than any time before, and she reflected on this briefly. Was it because of the audience? No, there had always been audiences before, but she had never felt this passionate about winning a duel with her brother.

Turning her thoughts away, she nodded, tossing the dagger carelessly to the side of the room. Arden warped to the side of the room to put his own sword down, clucking his tongue. "Take care of your weapons, Almira. Didn't I teach you anything about etiquette?"

Reading her stance and positioning her fists before her, she felt the familiar feeling of a breeze coating her forearms, as it grew stronger, transforming into a gauntlet of wind. "If I recall correctly, you literally threw your sword at me at the beginning of our duel." It had been a while since she had battled with wind gauntlets; it was a technique that she and Arden had developed themselves when they were younger, and she rarely had the chance to use it during raids as she favored her silent blades over the rather explosive and attention snagging blows.

Arden copied her motions, a mirror image as the two stared each other down. "Fair enough. Shall we dance?"

Golden eyes glittered at the challenge. "With pleasure."

The reverberations from the attack shook the air, tasting of aggression and red passion. Few people in the room had been prepared for the booming sounds of static as their wind guarded hands struck one another, sparks of lightning visibly jumping out from their contact. Hunk and Pidge jumped in the air at the unexpected pandemonium, the other three visibly flinching along with many other cadets who watched in wonderment. Keith had to admit that when the other Fleogan had said that Arden and Almira were legendary, he had only half heartedly believed him, assuming that his words were simply of high praise. Seeing the display of physical prowess not only reaffirmed that the word "legendary" had been properly used, but had placed the two on an even higher pedestal.

But even the god and goddess of their field did not have unlimited physical capacity, and the use of their specialized technique was tiring them out even quicker than before. Spotting an opening, Almira lunged with stretching out to send a jab into the tall general's ribs. This left herself wide open, Arden going in for a backhand, actions seeming to go in slow motion as the two recklessly dove forward.

The blows landed at the same time, Almira's hand left hand connecting with Arden's ribs just as he backhanded Almira's side. With wind-covered hands, the blows sent one another flying apart, crashing into opposing walls and knocking the breath out of both of them. The crowd hushed as both parties struggled to rise up. But it was obvious that the impact had severely weakened Almira's smaller frame as she groaned from her position on the ground, her back leaning against the wall.

Arden was the first to rise, identifying Almira's location and charging his hands again, winds swirling around him as he descended on her helpless position. The crowd sucked in a breath as he drew in closer, drawing his arm back to deliver the final blow. Keith's muscles tensed as he watched with baited breath, hands gripping the railing, as he was helpless to seeing Almira's open defense on the ground.

He swore he didn't blink, but just as Arden's hand descended upon Almira's helpless figure, he found himself lunging at an empty space along the wall, a familiar buzzing sound next to his left ear. Slowly he turned his head, a wind-covered hand forming a blade next to his neck and the lithe figure of the kitten standing imposingly behind him. Neither moved a muscle, taking in the moment where the tide had shifted once again and staring at one another, brains fumbling to comprehend what had happened. The audience above stood stunned, equally amazed and confused at what had just unfurled before their eyes, the assured victory at Arden's hand metamorphing in favor of Almira, who had not moments before sat completely at his mercy.

The cadets were the first to react, beginning an applause that devolved into a raucous amount of cheering and excitement, chattering with each other as they processed the movements and prowess displayed along with the sudden turn of events at the end. Team Voltron stood stunned, staring around the room and absorbing the energy while focusing back on their two royal guides, who began to move from their positions. The battle was simply unlike anything they had ever seen; even all the training that they did on the training deck of the castle now seemed like a cakewalk to them. Lance turned to Shiro. "That was insane! Did you see Almira warp out at that last second?"

"Lance, I don't think any of us did. That's what's so incredible!" Pidge had a gigantic grin across her face. "They weren't kidding when they said that Almira and Arden were legendary!"

Back on the floor, Almira wearily released her wind gauntlets, a worn smile appearing on her exhausted lips as she extended her hand to Arden as a formality. Shaking off his shocked face, he instead embraced her, spinning her around in the air and eliciting a laugh from both figures. "That was incredible! I didn't even see you move!"

Feet back on the floor, she wobbled for a moment before regaining her balance. Her first order of business was to remove the safety helmet, gulping in the cool air and relieving her sweaty head of the anxiety and stress she had been accumulating under the black visor. A grin covered her face, her victory still sinking into her realization. "I don't know how I did it. I just reacted." Arden copied her in removing his helmet, brown hair sticking to his head and sweat dripping along his forehead. Taking the lead between the two, they moved trekked across the space to gather their discarded weapons, putting them back in an orderly fashion. "I told you that you're the rusty old man here."

Chuckling, the General moved to muss the mop of white hair, grinning even wider at her displeased look as she put the helmet away, moving to undo the messy braid of silver locks and tie it into a new ponytail. "You've improved so much. I'm proud of you."

For all her exhaustion, Arden was certain that he had never seen her beam more proudly back up at him, radiance shining on her face along with adoration. "It's all thanks to you. You saw the potential in me all those years ago."

Looking at her brother, she could tell that his words were earnestly spoken. Her brother was never one to lie when it came to abilities and talents, but to hear about his pride from his own lips was absolutely divine. It was still shocking that she had pulled off her first win against her brother; to be honest, she had doubted herself multiple times. In her mind, her brother was one of the ultimate fighters that she had ever known, that the military had ever known. Surpassing him, even in one battle, was a feat that she had only dreamed about since she first entered the battle simulations. The moment was surreal as the afternoon light deepened in amber stripes, filtering into the arena.

She made the effort to commit every detail to her memory; the way her breath still sucked in the humid air of exertion, the sweat that had plastered her hair to her head, saturating her being even while she rejoiced in the feeling, the way that Arden looked on her with pride. The surreal nature of the moment meandered through her mind like the chattering and cheering of the cadets filtered down like the sunny motes, lazily and barely comprehended. Looking up to the balcony, she saw the starry eyed faces of cadets and was reminded of how she was once in their shoes, with dreams of becoming something more than herself. The faces of the paladins were staring down with amazement, focusing intently on her and Arden's figures. She gave a small wave to them, with Lance, Pidge, and Hunk eagerly waving back. It was all smiles as she looked into their eyes, feeling pride that they had witnessed one of her finest moments, but also appreciation that they were as invested as they were. It would have been all too easy to watch without intent, but the support that traveled from their high location down to her filled her with thankfulness at their support, her friends that had barely been around for a day. How could these people be filled with such honestly and openness, even with someone they had just known for a short while?

The door to the arena slid open, a captain of the Technology Brigade striding across the space to stand in front of the duo. Almira's eyes narrowed slightly at his tense posture, mouth folded into a grimace. He stood in front of them, saluting sharply "General Arden, Captain Almira. You've been requested at the Communications Tower."

Sealing up the weapons and the equipment, Arden furrowed his eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

Satisfied feelings evaporated from her pores as the captain spoke, hesitantly and in a quiet voice. "It's Queen Isolda, sir. Something's gone wrong at Ti Le Vang."

The color drained from both their faces, fear encroaching upon the duo as Almira stepped closer to Arden, gently grabbing his arm. The excited chattering continued in the upper balcony, creating a different sort of surreal environment for the two. All thoughts of Almira's victory were washed away at the mention of the second queen. Finally gaining up the courage, Almira's words were hushed. "What happened?"

"The Queen is safe, but Princess Lavena is gone. She vanished."

Arden immediately started, his posture tensing, but he was halted from running out the door by Almira, who gripped his arm tighter. Nodding her head to the captain, her face became dead serious, the sharp swing of emotions forcing her to focus in a battle-like manner. "We will head to the tower immediately. Please escort the Voltron paladins back to the palace and inform them that we will return soon." Saluting curtly, the captain left to race up to the elevator, the duo following him swiftly and diverging to the exit. As soon as they reached the outside forest, Arden's back exploded into a cloud of brown feathers, his powerful wings lifting him off the forest ground and carrying him swiftly through the trees. Almira followed suit, dread filling her hear at what they would find from the Queen and speeding her on to zealously follow Arden's trail.

Victory was set aside at the hollowing message that had been relayed. Where satisfaction and a thrumming exhaustion had been Almira's system there was only a decaying fear that ate away at her ribs, chasing after the heart that beat wildly in her chest.

 _Please, not again. Not Lavena._

* * *

AN: Leave a review, pretty please?


	8. Esoteric

AN: School is starting to fill me up with tons of midterms and other fun things. To be honest, I'm looking forward to winter break, where I'll hopefully be able to chunk out a lot more stuff. I don't have much to say today, except I finally got the stitches out of my finger, so I'm finally typing faster. We'll see if I can apply that speed to more chapters.

.

* * *

 **Chapter 8 – Esoteric**

The morning and early afternoon had taken its toll on the inseparable siblings, but all experiences were forgotten in their flight to the Communications Tower. Within dobashes, they had crossed through and over the forest, royal compound, and snaking pathway that led back to the gleaming building. Without the paladins there was no time spared for second glances at the surrounding plant life or contemplation about what the day was about to bring. Instead there was only anxiety and determination to reach their destination as soon as possible.

Their presence had been expected, the guards already opening the gates as the two swooped into the compound, wings tucking away as they ran across the courtyard. Artus was standing at the doorway, posture pulled taut as he acknowledge the duo with a bow of his head, motioning for them to follow him. He matched their swift steps with his own, guiding them through the winding corridors with ease. "We first received the message a little less than one varga ago. Queen Isolda was insistent that we notify you two immediately. She wanted to talk with you both by herself."

Almira's voice was weak with anticipation and dread, the news of the disappearance of Lavena grating on her nerves and shooting pangs of distress through her muscular frame. "Thank you, Artus." The trio pulled up to one of the smaller communications rooms, Artus stopping by the doorway and waving them in. The door slid open and closed quickly, leaving the duo alone in the room with the massive communicator, link already open to the other side.

Second Queen Isolda was a tour de force, an impressive and imposing woman when she wanted to be. Her dark, tanned, skin stood against orange-golden eyes, her stature being the tallest of the three remaining queens of the court. In Almira's eyes, she was a woman who had worked her way into the court, demanding their respect and attention through her unbreakable spirit and fast wit, the inspiration for Almira's own rise through the ranks. She was at once the mediator and the judge, many nobles bowing to her advice as though it were already law. Her crimson purple locks complimented and stood out among her robes of orchids and navy, the colors of her choice. Everything the woman did was bold, confident, and compelling.

But the projection in front of the two shattered Almira's heart into splinters. Where courtly hair demanded elaboration and extravagance, a testament to the time and leisure of well-cared women, her tresses were smoothed down in a plain fashion. Silk kimonos and gowns had been traded for a simple black hanfu, her finger trembling at the seams. But of all the things that gave the queen's disposition away, it was the orange eyes that she had come to adore, filled with grief and uncertainty. Arden stepped forward to the projection, his voice cracking. "Mama-"

She shook her head back and forth, eyes closed as they threatened to tear over. She lifted a hand up in a gesture that asked for respite as she drew a shaky breath, her frame wracking over. Almira's heart twisted underneath the spear that had plunged into a desolate tank of despair. Tears began forming in her own eyes as she rapidly tried to blink them away, taking Arden's hand gently into her own. The trio was speechless, words unnecessary to convey the meaning of emotions that were redundant to address. It was as through they had traveled through time and space, where Arden and Almira were children trying to adjust their wings in a world shielded by the mother heron, whose wingspan continued to comfort them when the world became too much, a refuge from the other. But as the queen mother opened her eyes to gaze upon her two remaining children, the spell broke, wordlessly, as the buckle on a belt is wont to release the tension of the mirage it supplies, and the entire party was faced with the undeniable truth.

Arden hand clasped tightly in Almira's slender one, the two stood closer together as two children who had been lost from their mother, their only solace an electronic projection in front of them that was both reassuring and tearing into the hearts that bled for assurance in the flesh. "Mama, what happened?"

The woman exhaled slowly through her nose, as though preparing herself to breathe in the strength she would need to express her story. "They've moved me to Yurusu." The statement did not answer their question, but seemed to soothe the nerves of everyone as a hand smooths over the ruffled feathers of distress. "After they found her room, they decided it was too dangerous in Ti Le Vang."

The hand clasping her smaller one clenched, forcing the small girl to look up into the frustrated eyes of her brother. His eyes looked down at the floor, a tempest of violent emotions conjured in their wake. "I shouldn't have switched shifts with Jove. I could have stopped this." Almira's heart dropped as she recalled the previous day, when Arden had called her en route to rescue the paladins.

 _I'm on my way to Urudu from Siu Va._

 _I thought Jove was patrolling the area._

 _And I thought you knew how much I hated patrolling Ti Le Vang._

 _And I thought you were trained better than to abuse power._

 _What the men don't know won't hurt them._

She winced in recollection of the memory, all at once realizing the weight of regret that Arden now carried. She placed her other hand on his shoulder compassionately, her voice quiet but urgent to impart their wisdom. "You couldn't have known."

"Almira is right. Do not blame yourself, Arden." The queen's words forced them to return their gaze to their mother. Her eyes had shifted into something more confident, and the fire began to return to their regularly intense gaze. "It happened early this morning. I have heard about the return of Voltron; your duty would have called you back. There was no way that this could have been prevented."

"Mama, what happened? What happened to-" she stuttered on her name, choking back thick emotions that threatened to spill from her voice. It was as though her vocal chords were so intent on preventing her from saying it, that if she could not speak her words, it was not true; that everything was a horrible dream, and any moment she would wake from her slumber to see her sister's face staring down at her in a smile, shaking her shoulders so that they could walk to the waterfall in the early hours of the morning to catch the sunrise. They would slip out in their evening gowns, snickering and tripping with sleepiness still snaring their ankles and tripping their toes, badly attempting to sneak past the guards on the cool marble without alert, hearts fluttering at their secret heist. Then she would procure a biscuit that she had stolen from the night before and they would savor the crumbs that tumbled onto them, and everything would be fine.

But everything was not fine; where Almira had failed, the queen continued, the spell broken forever. "I had gone for a walk to the waterfall, my mind was troubled. When I returned by sunrise, she was gone." With every passing moment, the queen began to rebuild her strength as she processed the events of the day. Almira was certain that with every word that built the queen up, she was stealing from her half-daughter's own supply of nerves, unintentionally pushing her closer and closer to despondence. She folded herself into Arden, who wrapped his larger arm around her like a shield from the world.

"Did she run away?" Upon hearing Arden mention the deed, it did make sense as a possible explanation. Almira recalled one of the last outstanding conversations she had with her elder half-sister a few years previous.

 _They had been sitting at the base of the willow tree behind the throne room, facing the waterfall as to stay hidden from the nobles that milled around the royal palace. Maroon locks like summer berries intermingled with strands of starlight as the younger rested her head on the dark shoulder of the other. Their hands were interlocked in solidarity, as though clinging to the lifeline in an ocean of azure anguish as they stared blankly into the distance._

 _"I miss him." The younger's voice was quiet, as though unsure of her own words. The hand holding her own tightened in response._

 _"I miss him too, my sunshine."_

 _The nickname had grated on her nerves for some time, but Almira had grown fond of its use on part of her elder sister. Arden had been the first one to call her by that name, modifying it from her second name. "After all," he had crossed his arms haughtily one day, "who names their kid after the goddess of the dawn? That's so pretentious." But Lavena had adored her name, often walking hand in hand with her younger sister through the gardens. Grudgingly, Almira had accepted its usage, but only by the eldest sister._

 _Burying her head into the crook of her neck, she smelled the gentle and familiar fragrance of hibiscus. "What are you gonna do?"_

 _"Maybe I'll run away."_

 _Almira's head shot up, silver strands separating and floating around her shoulder. "What do you mean?" Her golden eyes grew wide with fear as she looked at the serene face of the older, auburn eyes staring off into the distance. "You can't leave me!"_

 _A gentle laugh like the chiming of sleigh bells drifted with the sound of burbling water, setting her heart at ease. "I would never leave you. I'll take you with me. We'll go find Menew, together."_

 _"Where would we go?"_

 _The elder hummed to herself in thought. "Anywhere, I suppose."_

 _"Anywhere?"_

 _"On one condition."_

 _The younger girl scooted close, almost bumping noses with the older. "I promise."_

 _A gentle and genuine laugh escaped her lips, golden eyes brightening at the positive and earnest sound. She had been worried all morning at the despondent look that had clouded the usually perceptive and watchful eyes of her older sister, the color of an orange sunrise somehow dimmed by graying clouds. But in the laugh, the twinkle was restored, and her heart rested at ease. "I haven't even told you what it is!"_

 _"But it's you, Lavena," the younger whined, emphasizing the "you" in her sentence. "You never make me do crazy things like Arden."_

 _"Alright, alright. I'll never go where you can't follow. And you have to do the same for me."_

 _The duo smiled at each other. "It's a promise."_

Flashing back into the present moment, Almira frowned. While Lavena had certain mentioned the idea of running away, she had made a promise. The words echoed in her head, reverberating with a sonorous quality. _I'll never go where you can't follow_. From inside the crook of Arden's arm, she looked distantly at the projection of Isolda, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "She can't have run off." Arden looked surprised at her declaration, but refrained from commenting on her position; Almira was dictated by logic less than emotion, and if she had a reason for ruling out an idea, he trusted her intuitively.

Isolda nodded her head gravely. "The guards checked her room. They identified that there had been a break in through one of the windows."

The news stunned the two as they attempted to process the shocking detail. "A kidnapping attempt?"

"Even more strange; they did not see any signs of struggle."

Arden's brows furrowed deeper at the suggestion. "So she knew who it was?"

The queen shook her head in a passive manner, shrugging her shoulders and sighing. Almira thought that she looked older in this moment, the weight and stress beginning to take its toll on her frame. She looked smaller and fragile, which was a term that Almira never thought to associate with the second queen. Taking a lock of orchid hair around her finger, she began to play with it absentmindedly as she thought. "There is so much that we don't know."

"Mama," Almira started, then trailed off. What could she say to the queen that had treated her so much like a daughter of her own flesh and blood? She settled on something neutral. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Almira is right to find the positive in this. Losing Lavena hurts all of us, but we don't know what we would do if we lost you too." Arden added on to Almira's point, hugging her tighter into his frame. The queen looked at the two with tenderness and affection, her eyes softening at the sight of their side embrace as they hung on to each other, the stitches that had sewn the fabric of their relationship together ever tightening in the moment.

"Yes," she murmured to her self, although the other two could hear her clearly. "We are safe. I am glad the two of you are safe. Although," she looked at them intently, eyes roving over their figures as the two gulped at the acutely intense look she sent them, bordering on admonishment, "I hear that the two of you will be participating in the war tomorrow."

 _War_. Almira looked into Arden's eyes as they contemplated the word. While it was not the term that Almira had been using, looking to classify it more as a battle or struggle for the planet, Isolda had struck the nail on the head. It was the final war to end all wars, with the appearance of Voltron and the promises of the paladins and their Altean crew to assist them in what they hoped was the final struggle against the Galra. Perhaps it was accurate to say that the war had never ended since its beginning ten thousand years before, and that it was continuing up through that moment, but Almira speculated that, in the history records to come, the Fleogan histories would consider their fight to be the final war for Fleogas.

War. When she had been walking up the steps to the throne room the night previous, picking her brain as to what was about the happen in the next day, she hadn't fully comprehended the severity and intensity of the situation. Their forces would be fighting to their fullest extent by dawn the next day, and Almira herself was to assist in laying siege to one of the temples of old. Her heart filled with dread at the idea of war, pushing back on the goal of Fleogan freedom. She would not lie to anyone; when forced to think of the concept and act itself, Almira feared death. When she had promised Lavena those years before to never go to a place that the other could not follow, she had not realized that Lavena had been talking about the divide from which one could never return, where the soul flew when the body expired. In theory, they could be reunited in death, but who knew what lay on the other side? It was the unexplored territory from which no one ever returned, the one place where following meant intention of expiration of life in this reality as they knew it.

War brought death, and as she contemplated the words of the queen, she realized that her life would be on the line. She had promised Lavena that she would not go where the other could not follow; was she to break this promise? The answer was an obvious yes. If her death meant that Lavena could live freely from Galra terror, then the answer would always be yes. Promises were fickle, and the thought crossed her mind that Lavena always knew that it was a promise that neither sister could keep. And then the realization came that it had not been a literal promise, to never venture somewhere that the other could not follow; it was a bond of sisters, that Lavena was promising to never leave Almira behind, no matter how much she had missed her husband Menew, no matter how tempting it was to vanish from court life. It was a promise that, no matter how life ran its course like the river through the canyon, Lavena's love for her little sister, for family, was prized above all else.

 _I will not go where you cannot follow._

It was an ultimatum of her love, the same ultimatum that the goddess Eos had given her husband, brother-in-law, and lover before they had sped off in creation of the world, as oral and written tradition dictated. It seemed that everything came back to her; Almira Eos, named after the legendary warrior and the goddess of the dawn. Lavena had known this all along, was both Eos and Aeolus for Almira, the protector and adventurer. But where did that leave them? Returning to the present, it seemed worthless to muse on these topics as the war drew closer, tick by tick. But her spirit, renewed with the words of her sister, was undaunted as her eyes met those of her brother, determination seeming to flow from her into his figure. They stood tall as they looked back at the queen mother, whose face was still concerned for the wellbeing of her two surviving children.

Arden smiled gently to his mother. "We are a part of this war, just as we are a part of our people. You remember that we both swore an oath, to uphold justice where there is none, to be the sword unto the people as Eos shed light upon the world."

On hearing the words of the warrior's vows, the queen's shoulder slumped almost imperceptibly. Her voice was soft again as she spoke. "I know. I am a queen, and I would never ask you to forsake your oaths. But I am also a mother, and I am always worried for my children." Her eyes drifted over Almira, softening. "All three of you."

The inclusion of Almira as the third child softened her heart even further, her desire to transcend the electronics that were passing messages to embrace the woman who had more of a hand in raising her than her own blood mother. Isolda smiled at the two. "But I understand. I will await for your safe return home." Something from off screen caught the queen's attention, who smiled warmly and dismissed the person with a wave of her hand. "I must admit that I've been assisting with the war preparations here in Yurusu to keep myself busy. I am glad that I have had the time to see you one more time." The weight of her words set a somber tone among the three, whose thoughts returned to the inevitable fight.

Determination came over Arden's face as he smiled confidently. "We will win, mama. Eos is with us." He gave a grin to Almira, who returned it half-heartedly at the terrible pun. The queen smiled, the brightest it had been the entire afternoon. "Until next time."

"Until next time, my loves." The screen cut to darkness, the sibling duo staring at it for a moment to recollect their thoughts. Their conversation had been a whirlwind of emotions, and Almira found herself almost lost in thought as she considered everything that had come to her attention in the past three vargas alone. Their time in the battle simulator seemed to be eons ago, the paladins far from her mind as her last image of Lavena consumed her.

Finally turning away from the screen, Arden led her out of the room, continuing to keep his arm around her in a display of comfort and protection. He was not about to let anything else happen to his last sister, if he had anything to say about it. Their family would survive, would fight to live another day, as they had always done.

.

* * *

Crossing the courtyard, Arden placed a hand on Almira's arm as the reached the exterior gate, waiting for it to slide open. She paused, looking for an explanation and not finding much from his guard expression, which was curiously set forward and refusing to meet her eyes. "Let's walk back to the castle. I'm feeling like a good stroll might help us clear her minds." The admission seemed a bit odd and Almira was longing to return to the company of the Voltron paladins, but she obliged her older brother's wishes, following him as they leapt down from the tower to the dirt path below them. Walked step by step, their pace was casual and easygoing, a disproportion to the gravity that consumed them. "Tell me that something seems off to you too. First Menew, then Lavena. Something's off about this whole mess."

So this was what was weighing on his mind. "I feel the same. Something doesn't seem right here."

"They said that there was a break in, but there were no signs of a struggle. Who the hell could pull that off? Are they seriously thinking that it was Menew who came back?"

"It does seem to point to it," Almira admitted, but quick to premise her thought at Arden's hardening emotional state, "but it's too easy. And there's still no explanation for why Menew left."

"I know. It wasn't like him to suddenly disappear on patrol, to ignore his duty."

The two fell into an uneasy silence, the mystery bearing down on their persons. How could they solve this by themselves? Almira felt despair begin to leak into her spirit; the justice for such kind spirited people was being delayed and further complicated by the conflicting information and lack thereof. Menew had been a good general, and an even better husband. While Arden was often regarded as the golden child and a genius with his warping techniques, Menew certainly succeeded over him in temperament and decisiveness when it came to orders among the Warpers. He was older and more experienced, but at the same time he had treated Arden with respect as an equal, refusing to see him as a rival. His marriage to Arden's older sister had only solidified their bond as brothers. To say that Arden and Almira knew him well was certainly a simplification of the term.

So when news had arrived that Menew had vanished from his patrol, the three siblings knew that something was wrong. Menew was never one to skirt around duty, as Arden sometimes had tendencies to do, and was a formidable fighter in his own right. Discovering his helmet in the middle of the forest had been unnerving to their inner circle, wonder what had happened that night. Lavena had become distraught, withdrawing herself from many social circles and tending to stay around her mother and two siblings.

With the evidence of Lavena's disappearance, it would have made sense that it was Menew who broke in and left a lack of struggle, with Lavena's willingness obvious to the case. But the former general's sudden appearance after being missing for so long also didn't add up to Arden and Almira. Where had he been hiding, and how? Why now, of all times, to suddenly appear to his grieving wife and take her away? Almira massaged her temples, a headache coming on from the exhausting thoughts that toiled away in her mind. "So what do we think happened?"

Arden was silent again, staring off into the forest with a blank look on his face, although Almira could almost hear the gears in his head chugging away, trying to scrounge up a possible answer to their problem. The duo continued to walk in the quiet of the forest, water trickling alongside them.

Suddenly another thought popped into Almira's head from the previous day. "Maybe the paladins could help us." When a brown ponytail whipped violently at the suggestion, the silver haired woman kept her cool, matching the man's previously neutral expression. "Last night, after you had left us, we had come to the tower." She paused in her tracks to emphasize the importance of her statement, forcing her compatriot to stop and turn his full attention toward her. "Do you remember how I once remarked about how strange it was that the Galra has permitted our use of technology and also never trespassed into the craters?"

A slow dip of his head acknowledged her question. "I do. I told you not to think too much of it."

"But the paladins thought it bizarre too. Shiro and Keith themselves pointed out that the Galra way is 'victory or death,' and yet we've been able to build our civilization under their noses?" She shook her head, braid flicking behind her like a tail as her eyes pleaded with her brother. "They all think it strange. Surely if they're that perceptive about the Galra, they might notice something about Lavena's disappearance." She understood Arden's hesitance to share their suspicions with the foreign group; it was first and foremost improper to share the details of internal matters to parties that had no role in them. Not only that, but the paladins had enough to worry about in the upcoming offensive. Whatever they did afterward surely would not involve their planet anymore.

Or would it? If the ultimate goal of Voltron was to bring peace and stability to the universe by removing the forceful Galra regime, then they were going to need assistance in the form of supplies, weapons, and bodies. Clearing her mind temporarily, Almira refocused on her original proposal; all events post offensive would need to wait.

Arden was slow to consider the possibilities, but he motioned with his head to continue their walk, Almira falling into step beside him again. "You trust these foreigners too much."

"And you trust them too little, after everything that they have done around us and for us."

"Was it not yesterday that you had your reservations about them? You believed that the paladins had potential to be Voltron hijackers that were dangerous to our people."

"Have you not been watching the same group as I?" Their voices began escalating in tone and volume, like a wound red with irritation from another object. "They are kind, and they are of good moral character. They have proven themselves even before the battle has begun."

"You would give up our secrets and betray your family!"

"How _dare_ you accuse me of betraying our family," her voice dropped to a whisper as she whipped herself to block his path, pointing an accusing finger at his chest and glaring into golden eyes. "I am suggesting that we look for another opinion, while you would seal yourself off from those who freely offer your help because you are too damn stubborn to look five feet in front of you to the hand the offers assistance." Lips parted to rebuke her, but she shook her hand at him. "No, I am not finished. I should remind you that were it not for Menew's mysterious disappearance, which we are discussing the problems of it now, that you would still be a captain who shirks his duties when it benefits him. That you should pretend to be so high above my position as third captain only proves that you are not worthy of the title of general; Menew would never have looked down upon your advice so much as you look down upon me in this moment, Arden."

Her face was flushed with anger, blood boiling beneath the surface of rosy cheeks as Arden gaped in shock at the fierce accusations. She was reminded of a time when her temper often overtook her, throwing her lance down in protest of the unfair conditions under which Arden had often subjected her during training. But this was different now; he could not deny that she had become a woman who had learned her mistakes, who carefully constructed her arguments, and only threw the bombs when necessary. Her rebuke of his attitude had him both shocked and infuriated that she should call him out on his action, which served to harden his opinions even more.

"So be it. If you desire to cast your lot with these outsiders, then you may do as you wish, Captain." The use of her formal title had been thrown venomously, but Almira did not flinch at the jaws that snapped back at her. Removing her outstretched hand, she adjusted the collar on her uniform, smoothing her appearances over.

She was hurt by his words, no doubt, but she was a child no more. Even Arden could not deny that she was a woman of power who had graciously learned from her mistakes, picking herself back up from even the most humiliating circumstances. She saw his childish actions and called him out. For this she would not apologize, but wait for his feathers to settle down before he inevitably saw the wrongs of his actions. She hoped it would be sooner than later. "Then our conversation is done. Throw your lots with whomever you please. I only look to the benefit of our family."

"You are no sister of mine, daughter of the fourth."

Like a dive into a waterfall in the winter morning, cold washed over her posture as she stood rigidly and stared him in the eyes, a deadened look coming across her face. Arden saw his error too late, opening his mouth to apologize but a glare silenced any words from his mouth. In an instant, her figure seemed loom over his own as he shriveled backwards from the black look that passed over her eyes. Lifting her chin, she appeared to look down upon him, cold regality a thorn crown upon her head.

It was in that moment that Arden felt honest fear, the frame of the second princess of Fleogas turning into a wild animal who would tear throats for blood. He was frozen in horror of not just his words, but the feral look that overtook the once gentle and lithe form of the woman before him and turn it into an unrecognizable fortress that paralyzed him with dread. For all the joking that he often had with his sister, he had forgotten how frightful she could be when agitated to the right degree. Then her eyes seemed to glaze over with an emotion akin to disappointment, of a prey that was undeserving to be looked upon or something else, he would never know. But the cold shoulder that was turned upon him filled his heart with guilt, knowing that he had been toeing the line and finally crossed the threshold.

He was frozen again in his tracks as her voice pierced the air, a powerful stirring that conjured the dark arts into the air around her. "I know who I am. I don't need you to remind me of my place." She turned sharply on her heel, continuing down the path toward the royal compound, a demonic aura around her daring him to follow suit. As she vanished further into the trees, Arden released a massive sigh, exhuming his spirit to the wilds around him. He had messed up big time, especially since he had brought up her heritage. Everyone knew that Almira was touchy about her mother, the mysterious fourth queen who had vanished almost as quickly as she had appeared. Almira had barely turned ten when her mother became the very wind that they had worshipped and revered, leaving behind a royal child who was incredibly susceptible to the demons of the royal court.

Arden realized his mistake too late, his emotions and impulsive anger overcoming him in the moment. Almira was right; while she had been changing and developing, he was ever still the lazy prince who shirked his duties whenever they became uninteresting. Menew had told him repeatedly that if he was ever to succeed as the General of the Warpers, he would need to act more responsibly in all circumstances, not when it was easy or favorable. But when time became uncertain and he was forced into the position, all of Menew's warnings had flown out the door.

Almira was right. He would have to make things up to her later, but he decided it was in his best interest, along with everyone else's, to lay low for the time being. There was no point in provoking the demon he had awoken any further. He was certain that, if he did, it would actually cost him his life.

* * *

 **AN: Pleeeeeease leave a review? Please please please please please!**


	9. Tension

AN: Sorry I'm slowing down with chunking out the story! School is super busy right now; I'm stressing a little with my grades because I just got accepted into another honors society and it's imperative that I keep my grades high to stay in. The story has also taken an unexpected turn, to say the least. I had something planned in my outline but when I got to writing it, it just didn't feel right, so I did something else. Unfortunately the changed has impacted the development of some characters, so I'll just say that the ending of this story might not make a lot of sense/ might seem like it's not as flushed out as it could have been. I plan on revisiting chapters later in my edit. Again, my plan is to chunk this story out all the way before returning to edit.

With that being said, sorry that this is a short chapter! It actually became so long that it made more sense to chop it into two, against my original intentions. When Thanksgiving weekend comes, I hope to start working out a lot more, content filled, chapters for you all.

Shoutout to my guest review from the last chapter! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. Reviews really motivate me; if you want to see more stuff more quickly, please review!

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – Tension**

It had been less than a varga since the paladins had last seen their dynamic guiding duo in the arena, but the worries about the duo had escalated slightly as their return never came. The group instead had been grabbed by another captain, who led them to a meeting room inside the castle grounds, high in one of the towers. The specialization meetings were underway after more convening by the tacticians, who had been slaving away at their own meeting after the break up earlier that morning.

The room in which they met had no windows, instead relying on wall lamps and the glowing maps that lay in the center of the room, projecting from their point on the desk. There were only a few people inside the room, most notably was Almira standing on the opposite side of the room, speaking in hushed tones with Garen. The group made their way in her direction. Upon seeing their path, she stopped speaking with her commander, turning to face the group and giving a nod in greeting. Keith looked around the room. "Where's Arden?"

A blank look passed over her face, raising the paladin's suspicions. Her arms crossed as she ignored them, focusing her eyes on the giant globe that rotated before them. "He's late. He'll be on his way."

As if on cue, the man himself walked into the room, an impassive look on his face. He nodded to the paladins, choosing to place himself on the opposite side of the room. The group looked uneasily between the siblings, noting their suspiciously blank looks that refused to make eye contact and the obvious maximum distance that had been placed between the two on their own volition. Keith drew closer to Almira, standing slightly behind her and leaning into her ear. "What happened?" His only answer was an impassive shrug and a looming glare from golden eyes that hawked the paladin's every move. Stubborn in nature, Keith refused to back down from the general across the room, staring back with his own irritation. Something had obviously happened between the two of them in the time that the groups had been apart, and he doubted that it had to do with Almira's victory in their spar.

The doors slid open again, this time revealing Jin's slender figure. He looked around the room, walking up to he projection and typing a few commands into the panel. "Thank you all for being here on time. We'll begin discussing the second wave."

The globe expanded in an instant, focusing on the central mountains with more detailed visuals outlining the four final Galra bases. "As we mentioned this morning, the second offensive will focus on clearing out the south, west, and eastern bases before joining together for a full offensive. Keith, paladin of the red lion, has already volunteered to take Doseogwan." The images of the partially ruined base were highlighted, along with a large, spiraling, tower in the background.

"As his route will take him through the central mountains and through Shendian, we've nominated Captain Almira to lead Strike Team Eru." At the mention of her name, golden eyes lighted with a ferocious assertiveness. "Your squadron has already been alerted, and are en route to Urudu, where they will wait your arrival tomorrow. You'll be working with Captain Siufon." A young captain waved a tanned hand at the Wind Bender captain, who smiled as tawny eyes and the boyish face met her own, nodded in confirmation and allowing a quirk of the corner of her lips to demonstrate her reserved satisfaction.

Jin turned his attention to Shiro. "We have refrained from decided where the rest of the paladins will be dispersed. The west and eastern locations are fairly similar when it comes down to weather patterns and layouts, but we thought to ask you how you would like to divide the rest of your team."

"I'll send Hunk and Lance to the western front. Pidge and I can tackle the east." Hunk and Lance fist bumped at the announcement of their team, while Shiro clapped a hand on Pidge's shoulder in support, a grin wide on her cheeks. "Thanks for the consideration."

The tactician gave another nod of respect and affirmation before continuing. "I've personally decided to place General Arden and his squad at the eastern front, along with Captain Koro. In the case that something goes wrong at Feng Si, we'll need to you make decisions regarding that quadrant of the planet." Arden nodded, his face turning back to the map impassively, but not before sneaking a glance at the silken haired captain across from him. Her face betrayed nothing, not a thought escaping from her impassive appearance, and Keith thought he saw the General sigh despondently. Something was definitely amiss.

The first half of the meeting passed efficiently, each member in the room assigned their job without complaint or questions. If there was any word to describe the Fleogan military, it was efficient. However, Keith continued to analyze the strained atmosphere that had enveloped Almira and Arden. The General had given up on attempting eye contact after receiving his own orders, standing silently in his position. Curiosity eventually forcing Keith's actions, he leaned back toward Almira's ear. "Seriously, what's going on with you two?"

Her headshake was almost imperceptible, the braid on the back of her head barely moving with the motion as she tried to ward the inquisitive paladin off. She refused to make eye contact, knowing that those storm grey eyes would be the death of her as they seemed intent on stripping away layers that Almira didn't even know existed. If she look into those orbs, even for a moment, her façade of nonchalance would break, the last thing she needed in this intense war meeting being a breakdown of emotions into raw anger at the one person she seemed to esteem above all else. "Later." She could still feel curiosity roving her cheekbones and face, but stood firm in ignoring Keith, if it was the last thing she did in that meeting. Eventually his attention turned back to the room and she relaxed her shoulders, not even realizing that she had tensed up underneath his gaze. Rolling them back, she turned her full attention back to the meeting.

" – from there, the east and western fronts will converge from the sides and attack the base head on. The southern group will need to make a choice of how to divide the troops if necessary; if all goes well, you all turn to the north and act as backup." Jin turned his focus to the paladins, marking them out specifically.

"As Voltron, you have three focuses. You must first and foremost destroy the ion cannons on the ground, then focusing on destroying the aerial fighters and the weapons bays. I leave any other plans to your discretion, along with any plans with Princess Allura." Shiro nodded in confirmation on behalf of the group, soaking in the visuals of the bases.

"Arden will be leading a strike team into the air vent, as discussed earlier." Jin turned his attention to the General, who stood alert. "We've left the team up to your discretion." The deferential head nod clued the hawk-eyed general in to his moment to pick the team. His eyes scanned the room thoroughly and evenly before he began to speak.

"I choose Warper squadron alpha, Wind Bender squadron chi." He paused for a moment, slight trepidation crossing his eyes before being squashed into determination. "And I request Captain Almira."

For the first time during the meeting, gold met gold in a stare down, the woman searching his eyes for an explanation to his sudden decision while meeting only confidence and stoicism. Almira felt lost, a head tilt the only manifestation of her confusion; why was Arden selecting her when they had been brutally arguing and insulting each other not dobashes before? Even Keith had noticed that something was wrong, although if the other captains in the room observed anything, they had been keeping silent out of respect for the business that was not their own. The two continued to stare into each other's eyes, locked. Jin looked between the two slowly. "Arden, Almira will be at the southern station. She won't be able to make it in time."

"Not if she flies with the red lion." The suggestion felt more like a command, and Keith narrowed his eyes aggressively. If the General thought that he could bother Almira about something to the point of an aggressive personality change, on top of demanded something of Keith without asking permission, then he was about to be proven wrong. Just as he opened his mouth to question the General, he felt a small hand clamp onto his wrist none too gently. In surprise, his eyes flickered down briefly before connecting it to the captain beside him, who still stared across the room.

And in that moment, Almira suddenly understood Arden's silent communication, as though their distance had been static across the radio channel that had always been open to the two siblings, who knew each other almost better than they had known themselves. The raid on the primary Galra base was an opportunity to find answers to the question that Almira had proposed on multiple occasions; why did the Galra allow their civilization to flourish, against their very nature? The plans of the internal infiltration were open to Arden's orders, which could allow them to glean information from anything – or anyone – who had the misfortune to cross their path.

Their telepathic channel opening up again, she began to read the more subtle messages that his eyes desperately attempted to send in the storm that that hailed between the two. Determination, ingenuity, fervor.

Guilt.

 _I'm sorry I doubted you._

Although they never truly heard one another's voices in their head, they knew how to read each other to a tee. While the admission did not relieve her of all of her anger, it had soothed the feral creature that fed on her distress and ire. Her eyes softened from their neutral expression of displeasure into something more malleable, speaking to her understanding and agreement with their unspoken ideas. She spoke up, her voice as glassy as a lake at dawn, the winds not even daring to interfere with its mirror like surface. "It might work. I'd also be able to assist in the stabilization of the lion as it flies through the Shendian."

She finally turned her gaze to Keith, who nearly leveled her with an expression of dissenting confusion. Reflecting upon his look, she realized that he had not seen all of the exchange that had happened between her brother and her, and still remained distressed and angered at the situation on her part. It was sweet really, and her lips cracked at the notion of the red paladin's anger on her behalf. Confusion still swirled at the mixed emotions that he received, and Almira was suddenly thankful for her intimate connection with Arden, where words were often unneeded to exchange thoughts and ideas. "If Keith agrees." She encouraged him mentally and visually to agree, her promise to tell him everything "later" apparently expanding to a whole slew of information.

Still confused but encouraged by the return of emotion to the princess' face, he turned back to Jin. "I'm fine with it." He grumbled it out, still unsure of the rapid changes of emotion in Almira's eyes, but he relaxed now that her visage had changed from cold indifference to determination. Arden had also seemed to relax, although there was still a tense coil snaking up through his spine. Fleogans were confusing, Keith muttered to himself.

"Then the team is confirmed. Arden will brief you at a later point in time." Clapping his hands together, the lead tactician signified the end of the meeting. "We will break out further to discuss strategies per location. The Doseogwan team will stay here. Arden's team will follow to the room next door, the other location to the room after that." Bodies dispersing with a low murmur, the paladins drew together.

"Alright team, stay focused. Learn as much as you can from those meetings. We'll discuss our own strategies tonight." Ever the leader, Shiro focused the team up, specifically Lance who was beginning to grow bored with all the talking and meetings. Hunk placed his hand on his friend's shoulder as they followed the flow of people, Pidge following suit. Shiro turned to focus on Keith and Almira. "You two good?"

Almira took the lead, seeing Keith's moody demeanor, offering a sparse smile. "Don't worry about us. We'll sort things out." Her vague answer was effective enough, seeming to address the paladins' unnamed concerns without focusing too specifically on which problem she was going to solve. With a nod of confirmation and a slightly concerned look in Keith's direction, the black paladin stalked off in Arden's direction, who was waiting by the door.

His look at Almira softened her heart even more; she knew that she wouldn't – couldn't - remain angry at her brother forever, but she needed to let him know that what he had said wasn't something that she could take lightly. Of course the broken nature of her family distressed her, deepened by the Fleogan superstition of the number four. Considering that her mother had been the fourth queen of the king and had left behind a mysterious child with bright silver hair and scheming, golden, eyes that hawked and unnerved every person in her line of sight only served to hinder Almira's position among the nobles. She was a child of hapless fortune; Arden's words those few hours before had only served to remind her of her place. But she was willing to forgive where forgiveness was earned. Nodding in his direction, he returned the movement before walking off, green and black paladins in tow and vanishing around the corner. They would meet again later that evening, Almira was sure.

The remaining people in the room included the captain that Jin had pointed out to be Siufon, who was talking with other captains that were a part of the Lansild and Technology Brigade. While Siufon was a commendable captain in his own right, Almira still outranked him as third captain of the Wind Benders compared to his rank of fifth, and it would be up to her to determine their strategies to attack the ancient library of Doseogwan. Turning to Keith, she met his intense, questioning gaze, her voice low. "I know you have questions, but we need to get this meeting out of the way." She didn't voice any further concerns, simply looking at him with as much honesty as she could muster. His eyes softened in return, something undecipherable in his gaze as he nodded in affirmation.

Turning her attention to the other captains who had begun to move closer to her position, she smiled openly. "Well, gentlemen," she began, voice drawling with dramatics as she snatched their undivided attention at the legendary captain, a cunning smile breaking on her face, "shall we begin?"

* * *

Almira's promise to answer Keith's questions seemed to be delayed at every turn; the conclusion of their meeting saw their removal from the room, another meeting for the captains leading the offensive on one of the smaller Galra compounds commencing as the door slid shut behind them. They had then been at the mercy of a wave of people who flooded the corridors, and had moved along silently as they were guided to the grand foyer at the front of the castle. In the daylight, the first few rooms of the castle were less haunting in exchange for the loss of the quiet nostalgia that breathed through the rooms during the night. As Almira and Arden had predicted, there were swathes of military personnel weaving through the brightly colored robes of nobles, who mingled and drifted aimlessly in the large space.

Wasting no time, she grabbed Keith's arm and pulled him through the sonorous space, knowing that a few nobles were more than desperate to drag anyone into a personal conversation – or complaining session, as Almira knew from experience – and secured a route to her destination. They swiftly dodged the whirlwind of people, making their way to the other hallway on the other side of the room. As soon as they began to drift through the cooler corridor, the voices melted away and Almira breathed a sigh of relief. They had escaped the limber jaws of the lions that waited to snap up unsuspecting prey for the time being.

Making a left at the end of the corridor brought the rest of the paladins into view, apparently waiting by themselves. Lance waved brilliantly at the duo, the rest of the crew sending smiles and more sedate gestures as the duo. The blue paladin crossed his arms, a wicked look coming into his eyes. "Well look at the moody crew, deciding to finally show up."

Almira raised an eyebrow, coming to a halt before the group. "Moody crew?"

"Well, yeah. Keith here is our resident moody mayor. What's up with you and Arden?"

"Lance." A warning mutter came shockingly from Keith, warning the whimsical paladin from intruding into uncharted territory, even though he had to admit that he was curious too. But Almira had promised explanations, so he would have to wear his patience out until then.

Surprisingly, a laugh came out of Almira as she gave one of her typical, cheery smiles to the group. It wasn't quite as radiant as some occasions, but the break from her intensely dark mood from before was momentous and reassuring to the paladins. "It's alright. We just fell slightly out of sorts with each other."

The group leader crossed his arms, looking suspiciously at the woman. "It looked like something more than just falling out of sorts. Are you sure you're alright?"

A verifying hum was the only answer that she seemed to give, changing the subject quickly. "We're done with meetings for today. Is there anything you'd like to do for the afternoon?"

Hunk's stomach answered in everyone's stead, an impatient gurgle sounding as the yellow paladin clutched the traitorous vessel, grinning sheepishly. "I could go for a sandwich right now. Or maybe those egg things we had at breakfast?"

"I'm with Hunk. I'm starved after all those meetings."

Keith couldn't resist the opportunity, jumping in on Lance's innocent statement. "You mean those meetings where you just stood there staring at the wall?" Anger spiked and temperaments rose.

"I was paying attention too!"

While the two became engrossed in their bickering, Hunk seeming to cheer and egg the two on at the same time, Almira turned her attention to the remaining two paladins. At this point, the bickering barely phased her, accepting the competitive nature of the two, testosterone laden, egotists. Certainly it reminder her of a certain General and hot-headed tactician prince that she knew, and like anyone who had succumbed to the normality of any repeated action, she managed to move the conversation out of her focus and to her peripherals. Pidge apparently had other ideas from the primary colored paladins, looking at Almira hopefully.

"I was hoping that we could take a closer look at the tech in the simulations, or something like that." Her eyes went starry at the thought of all the Fleogan technology that she hadn't poked or prodded yet, a glassy look covering her hopeful face. "There's so much that I haven't seen yet!"

"I'd actually be down to take a closer look at the other branches of the military to get a better idea of how we can maximize Voltron's use at the final offensive." Ever the strategist and planner, Shiro's plans aligned with Pidge's more than their other companions, leaving Almira at a metaphorical fork in the road. She considered taking the group back to the battle simulations, but her diplomatic side refused to offer their esteemed guests the condensed energy and nutrition bars that the military offered freely. It would have been insulting, although she was sure that Pidge and Hunk would have been just as interested to analyze the chewy bricks of paste that disguised and dared to call themselves food.

Then came the problem of getting food at the royal compound; the normal dining hall was probably being avoided at that moment in time for preparations for the warrior's banquet that would be held that evening. It would be impossible to get a full meal from that location, which meant that they would have to have food delivered to their rooms. It was the most prudent option, but it meant that the entire group would have to trek up to the royal residences, which were in the opposite direction of the battle simulations. And heavens forbid that she left either group to their own volition; she was sure to get an earful from Eaghan for her lack of propriety, even worse if any word drifted to a nobleman or woman's ears.

"Care for some company, Almira?" Sent from the heavens himself, Almira sighed in relief as the solution to her predicament walked in her direction, painfully wrought, blue, hair piled on his noble head. His blue eyes twinkled in delight, observing from the debating look on her face that the captain had required some assistance.

"Akil." She smiled at his approach, the bickering paladins halting their discussion at the approach of the second prince. "Have you been formally introduced to the paladins?"

"I have not." He bowed to the five pilots respectfully. "I am Akil Kunsgnos, second prince of Fleogas and General of the Technology Brigade." The group took in his friendly appearance, tan, honey gold skin complementing the cream and brown attire that spoke of his princely status, contrasting with the black and charcoal greys of Almira's uniform. His jaw was more slender than his elder brother, but his carriage and high cheekbones were undeniable markers of his relationship to the crown prince. His demeanor was neither ramrod serious like the elder nor relaxed as Arden, but found a happy medium, setting the group at ease.

Almira added seamlessly to his introduction. "Pidge and Shiro would like to see more of the battle simulator and your men. Would you care to take them along?"

If Almira had to pick a favorite brother, Arden was a no brainer. But if there was anyone who came in a close second, it had to be Akil. Where Arden was often saucy with his remarks and distributed them freely, the elder second prince was quick to read the waters before jumping in and making a splash. His sensitivity to emotional states was sometimes exactly what Almira needed when she finally – usually too late in some cases – decided that she was in over her head. Akil tended to support first and ask questions later, and Almira was thankful for his sudden, reliable, appearance.

The prince nodded seamlessly, turning his attention to the green and black duo. "When you're ready."

Shiro nodded in confirmation, beginning to follow the slender figure while tossing a cautionary glance to the remaining three, a warning to behave in his eyes. Lance shrugged his shoulders in a carefree manner, smugness on his lips as Hunk seemed to sheepishly mirror his stance. Not entirely reaffirmed with their casual glances, he sighed as he followed in suit toward the battle simulations again.

"So what is it like to fly those gigantic lions? How do they handle?"

Almira rolled her eyes at Akil's questions; for all his properness and tact, the man could go on for hours on any subject that possessed his mind like a dehydrated wandered in search of water. Especially since his area of specialty was the entirety of the Technology Brigade, she hoped that Shiro and Pidge were up for the challenge of answering his never ending curiosity. In a way, she had thrown them into the deep end, but she didn't really care much either. For all his questions, Akil was a good person and never sought information for selfish desires or self-furthering in the field; that mechanical brain of his was always searching for interesting information and new ideas for the intellectual stimulation and broadening of his horizons, in the hopes that it would benefit his people. In the end, Almira had to admit that everything came down to the benefit of their people.

Well, maybe excluding Eaghan. The pompous magpie was always looking to further his position and gain favor in the court. He seemed to be the only exception.

Savoring the solution to her courtly problem, she waved the remaining three along the hallway, stalking off in the directions of the royal apartments. "Let's see about some food then, shall we?"

* * *

AN: Reviews are so greatly appreciated! Even if it's a short blurb, like if you like the story or not. You don't have to be detailed; I appreciate anything.


	10. Exhume

**Chapter 10 – Exhume**

Keith was more than capable of patience. He had taken his time, living in a shack in the middle of nowhere after leaving the Garrison. He had gone along with their misfit team through a wormhole that led to god knew where, and accepted the fate of the paladin that Allura had dealt him. He spent hours on the training deck, preparing himself for the endless battles that were surely lined up for the future. He knew how to take his time, to wait for the enemy's move before crushing them swiftly and without suspicion.

He was also losing his damn mind waiting for answers from Almira.

To be fair, their group had been swept along from one event to another, the morning and early afternoon already beginning to blur. While Pidge and Shiro had wanted to hack away at the battle simulators and the Fleogan warriors, probably asking a hundred questions and finding a thousand answers, he was fairly mentally fried. Patience was not a virtue that was on his side, and he just wanted some damn answers and maybe a respite to focus his mind.

Which brought him back to the current situation. The group of four had been sitting cross legged on the floor in one of their rooms in the royal suites, Lance and Hunk more than happily chowing down on a lunch of various meats and vegetables that came in a multitude of brightly painted bowls that easily fit into one's hands, spread across a long, low seated table. Almira was looking on in vague interest and amusement at the messy eaters, who had begun to make a game out of tossing small nuts into one another's mouths. He exhaled irritably, arms crossed as his eye twitched at the slow mess that was beginning to accumulate on the ground around them.

At his sigh, Almira's eye locked onto his features, making him stiffen slightly. Eyes narrowing and relaxing in realization, she moved to snatch two round, orange, fruits from a wide dish on the table. Uncrossing her legs and slowly standing up, stretching like a cat with stiff limbs from lounging for too long, she tempted a generic smile toward the blue and yellow paladins. "If it's alright with you, I'm off to get some fresh air. Those meeting rooms can get stuffy." A hand wave and nod was given, neither paladin pausing in their rapid consumption of the food before them, and Almira turned toward the door, tilting her head in its direction while looking at Keith, inviting him to follow. The two strolled off through the doors and into the surrounding gardens of the royal compound.

.

* * *

The group had been given a massive condominium of a sort, the building wrought into the trunk of a massive tree. In fact, all the houses of the royal complex were built into the magnificent trunks, creating vast swaths of space between them. Lush gardens had been established, brilliant flowers lining winding paths that linked the area. The indolent air brushed sleepy sunshine that filtered into the area, lending a relaxing atmosphere to the entire area. It was a dreamscape, an artist's reverie, as the hush enveloped the two figures that stalked the open air.

Keith barely registered the toss of the orange in his direction before he reached an arm above him to intercept the throw, grunting at the abruptness. He heard a chuckle in front of him; although he couldn't see his guide's face he could imagine the amusement hanging on peach lips. He copied her motions and brought the fruit to his mouth, surprised at the unexpected taste of a pear that settled on his taste buds, the delicate crisp of the skin cracking under his teeth. It was almost fascinating how similar Fleogas was to earth in comparison with some of the alien planets that they had visited, and if he concentrated hard enough, he could almost imagine a pear in his very hands, not just the taste but also the slender lines of the green fruit.

"You have questions." It was an obvious statement coming from her mouth, but he suddenly felt unsure about what exactly he wanted to ask. The surreal nature of the moment, the afternoon's siesta of sunlight that dreamily drifted across his muffled senses, filled his mind with quiet where there had just been a surge of anticipation and irritability. He looked down at the fruit in his hands blankly.

"I feel like I know you, but then you're suddenly so unpredictable."

Silver braid swung in the air as she tossed an inquisitive, yet knowing glance over her shoulder. "No one ever truly knows who someone is. We only see snippets and aspects that allow us to construct an ideal, or a shadow."

Keith snorted. "You and Arden like to talk cryptically. All of you do."

The two approached a smaller building in the middle of what seemed to be nowhere. It was a freestanding building, probably as large as the throne room, blending in perfectly with its surroundings. Truth be told, it was almost so unnoticeable that Keith didn't realize where they were headed until they came within a reasonably close distance to its doors. The façade lacked décor and the fancy aesthetics that almost every other building had, giving it a cast off look and making him wonder why they were standing in front of it. Almira put her hands on one of the brass knobs and paused for a moment, considering his words. "Everyone has their secrets. Most of us tend to keep them that way."

Pulling the door open, she motioned for Keith to enter the dimly lit space. There were thin walkways that formed orderly lines, and he soon realized that the entire space was lined and organized around paintings and pictures. Some were as large as a sheet of paper, while others towered above their figures, inspiring awe and portraying life like characters on the canvas. Almira took the lead again down a pathway to the right, taking her time passing through as her guest marveled at the interior. "What is this?"

"A storage barn, so to speak. All the old paintings that hang in the castle hallways get moved here."

"So why are we here?"

They passed by a particularly large painting, which Almira cast a longing look upon as they walked past. "Perhaps for selfish reasons. Maybe there isn't much of a point to us being here except my own desire." There were three winged people portrayed, a woman standing in the center and flanked by two men who held their ground in triumphant poses. The woman had her attention toward the sky, cerulean eyes captivated by something beyond their reach as slender hands reached out mercifully. Keith paused at the portrait slightly, speeding his pace to match Almira after staring at the image for a few moments longer.

The two came upon a sliding door along a wall, which Almira pushed along with practiced ease, apparently deeply familiar with the gesture. They entered another room; paintings stacked closely one behind another, attached to some sort of system in the wall that allowed them to be pulled out of the stack with ease. Hands fell upon a specific painting with ease, the worn corner of the frame singing of hands that often caressed its edge as Almira pulled the portrait into view. Eyes softened at the image, refusing to leave the contents of the picture.

It was of an elegant woman, adorned with flowing white garments that appeared to drift in a breeze, gossamer stole lifting off the shoulders and carrying in the space around her. Everything was white, the dress, the moon in the background, her hair; everything except perhaps for the tanned skin and delicate magnolias that were printed on the top layer of the gown. Her eyes were hidden under lids that falsified a dreaming slumber, but pale lips quirking at the corners betrayed a more playful muse. The woman captured in the image was a carbon copy of Almira, except perhaps for the sharp lines and taut frame of Almira that screamed of a rigid training and militant carriage. This woman was much more soft, delicate, almost as though she herself was a dandelion drifting through as the wind dictated.

"After my mother vanished, all portraits were removed from the halls." Her voice was soft and almost muttered, as though worried that she would disturb the woman in the portrait and find soft lid flinging open in distress at any sudden provocation. "Arden brought me back here one day. He told me to never forget her, that if I did, then surely the memory of her would fade forever."

Keith spared a glance for his companion, her hand still resting on the frame as she looked up into the sleeping face. "My parents left me. I know how you feel."

Finally breaking her musing stare, the captain looked away with a sigh. "I just wish I knew why, or what happened. I was left alone, you know. If it wasn't for Arden and Queen Isolda, I don't –" Her voice broke off, and she stepped away from the picture, standing next to Keith while clearing her throat. "Lavena especially.

"Arden didn't want me telling you anything, any of this." Looking into grey eyes, her expression turned stoic, dropping from any dreamlike state to the gravity of a weight in the sea. "He doesn't trust you all as much as I do."

The red paladin had no answer for the last admission. In Arden's defense, he was right to be wary of the paladins, as outsiders of the planet. While they had been friendly with one another, perhaps it was right of the General to extend his best wishes only so far, instead of what Almira seemed to be doing. Eyebrows furrowed at the thought, the confusions of the conflicting ideas and actions of the two siblings. "So then why go against his wishes? Why tell me?"

Lightning met hurricane silver, and at once it was like the storm sizzling out of power, the thunder losing its rumble and aggression from miles away from the coast. The horizon had cleared, and while the silver of the storm still lingered on the edges and cast charcoal gloom on the mute waves, there was translucent understanding and clarity that accompanied the smell of the forest after rain. For a moment, the calm was like a window into the soul, the lie detector that never failed when the open truth burst from the sills and blew curtains into a righteous flurry. Eye lids fluttered, but refusing to close, suspending the moment through centuries. Her voice was the oar sliding across the surface of the mirror, breaking yet bending the image to her will. "You make me feel safe."

Then she rolled her shoulders back and the close knit girdle of the warriors was donned once again, breaking the spell and permitting the moment to flutter away on gilded wings, rare and almost unbelievable save for those who witness it. She was still relaxed, but it was no longer the complete honesty that burbled over her stitches, restrained just barely. She continued her statement flawlessly. "When I needed someone to listen, to honestly listen, Lavena was there. She wasn't a warrior, but she listened as though she knew everything there was to know. She was my elder, but she respected me." Her eyes turned back to Keith, slightly more muted this time. "You remind me of her."

The admission was unpredicted and sudden, but Keith couldn't help but feel honored at Almira's abrupt honesty. He nodded in acceptance of the honest likening, most likely a compliment, an open and encouraging look coming across his face. She continued, and at this point Keith was content to listen and wait for anything that she was to admit.

"My mother was the fourth queen of my father. In our culture, the number four is, well," she wrinkled her nose, eye twitching irritably, "superstitious. It's a sign of misfortune and the east wind. It never helped that she was a commoner from a lesser crater, so it was predicted that the marriage would fail splendidly."

"Did it?"

Almira tilted her head. "Perhaps not. I was, after all, born in any case." Keith flushed slightly at the insinuation, while Almira placed a hand back on the portrait, stowing it away into its place along the wall, hidden from sight. She paced a few steps forward, hand sliding over the various frames and resting along another simple frame. The scene this time included multiple people, including Almira in infant form, cradled in her father's arms. King and queen looked to another robed, hooded, figure, features hidden from sight. Frowning, the pushed the portrait back into its place, selecting the next available. "Most nobles consider my mother's presence a blemish on the history of our people. People were suspicious about her sudden appearance and disappearance, and even more so of her appearance. Some regarded her as a dark witch, come to steal the throne."

The next image had the same woman from before and what Keith assumed was Almira as a young toddler. The small child sat in the lap of the older woman, both staring into each other's eyes with smiles on their faces. This time, the eyes of the woman were open, revealing dirty amethyst flecked with yellow. Even from the portrait, they were haunting to look upon, unearthly even for a Fleogan with their multitude of eye and hair colors, and he could understand why the nobles had been disturbed by her unearthly features. "Arden and I had been fighting earlier. When I disagreed with him, he reminded me of my unfavorable position as daughter of the fourth queen."

Keith balked at the statement, attempting the process the idea that Arden would be so unfavorable to his sister whom he had shown nothing but high regard for during their time together. It was almost impossible to relate Arden's carefree, easy-going nature with something so violent and murderous toward the radiant, gentle, creature in front of him. "Why would he do that?"

A sigh escaped her lips as she stared at the portrait, absorbed in every detail, and it was unclear if the sigh was directed toward Arden's attitude or fondness of the picture. "Our tempers can be quite fiery when provoked. Even as we grow older, we hold onto some of our tendencies from our younger days. I think that Arden was unable to counter my argument, so he called me out on the one thing he knew." Eyes narrowed dangerously. "The one thing that I hold close to my heart."

He had no words to speak, simply taking in her words and processing them carefully. Reminded of the orange pear still in his hand, he continued to take another bite out of it, crossing his arms as he organized his thoughts. So he finally found out that Arden and Almira had fought over something, and that it had ended in Arden's jab at Almira's background, obvious grounds which were untouchable even among siblings. Even more so, Almira had relayed her absolute trust of Keith, likening it to someone named Lavena. Who was Lavena? What exactly had Arden and she disagreed upon that would end in such a catastrophic war of words? Why exactly were they in this place, which obviously barred outsiders?

It was like being tossed back to the beginning again; the more answers he found, the more questions appeared. He had entered this space with one question and had ended up with three or more now, and it was making his head spin. The closer he got to understanding Almira, the further he seemed to unintentionally stray, leaving her as enigmatic as ever. But he had to understand the preface she had given him at the beginning of their conversation, before they had delved into the abandoned portrait storage.

 _No one ever truly knows who someone is. We only see snippets and aspects that allow us to construct an ideal, or a shadow._

But all the same, Keith refused to see that he was only seeing a shadow of who she was; she was too radiant for that. If anything, it seemed as though he was staring at the sun, going all the more blind while he sought knowledge and learned about her existence. If anyone asked if his quest for knowledge was worth the blindness, he was unable to tell yet. Was he willing to continue? Absolutely.

"Why are we here? There has to be more than you just answering my question and showing me pictures of your past beyond trust."

Her smile was subdued, but all the same it had an edge that gloated over some victory of knowledge that was unidentifiable by Keith. Warmth and darkness fought in her eyes, a swirling battle of contradictions as she looked over the picture, her eyes never straying to look at anything else. "Like I said, for selfish reasons, perhaps. When I was young, the nobles would often remind me of my short fallings on part of my mother's disappearance. I was so distraught one day that Arden brought me here and showed me the old paintings that had been removed from the castle. He told me that whenever I doubted myself, or whenever I felt lost or betrayed by my mother, to come here and remind myself of the parts of her that I knew, that the nobles never had the chance to see. They saw her only as a phantom queen, their hatred clouding their judgment. I knew her as a mother, who had a heart as soft as her voice whenever I had nightmares, who would know how to soothe my spirit." She raised a hand, as though to reach out toward the image, but froze in mid air, reminded of the structure and removing the thought from her mind, instead clasping her hands behind her back.

So their trip had been for selfish reasons, although Keith couldn't bring himself to be irritated or in any way find malicious, discontented feelings for their trip. It had been insightful for him, and it had been important for Almira to center herself, to remind herself that her existence was validated beyond the enormous space left by her mother, the fourth queen. Even now he could see the stress and tension leaving her body slowly, poisonous insinuations oozing out of her frame and leaving all the confidence that he had known her to own with tenacity. He continued to ask his questions. "And Lavena?" Her head flew in his direction and he flinched under the unexpected look he received, golden eyes searching his face in wonderment and gravity. He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly at the intense look. "You mentioned that I reminded you of her."

At the mention of her comment, her posture loosened up again. "Ah. I forgot that I had mentioned her to you." Rolling her shoulders back, she moved to slide the picture into its position, and Keith had the feeling that she was getting down to business as she moved from disconnected longing to the present moment. Turning to face him, she mirrored his position, crossing her arms. "Lavena was Arden's older sister, my half sister. She was married to Menew, the former General of the Warpers."

An eyebrow rose at the use of the past tense. "Was?"

Almira nodded slowly. "I don't know if you heard, but Arden only attained the position of General a few years ago, after Menew had vanished from a patrol. Arden and I just received a call today from his mother, second Queen Isolda, about an apparent break in at the crater Ti Le Vang last night. Lavena's gone now too."

Brows moved from interest and surprise to narrowed suspicion. His head bowed slightly and eyes narrowed, unsure of what exactly to make of the alarming information that had passed on to him. "That's suspicious."

"Which brings me to the reason Arden and I were fighting. I wanted to tell you and the paladins this information to see if you thought anything suspicious about it. After all," she gestured vaguely in the air, "you also thought it was suspicious that the Galra have left us alone to flourish, so to speak, under their rule. I've also had the same suspicions for years, but even Arden has told me to forget it."

"You think that we could provide insight."

Shoulders shrugged apathetically, although eyes still burned with curiosity and interest. "I thought to ask. Arden thought that we shouldn't bother you with personal, internal, affairs. He tried to pull rank on me. You know where that got us."

Suppressing a shudder when thinking about the meeting earlier that day where Almira had turned stone cold and Arden looked much like a scorned puppy, he could only hope that the captain would never turn on him in a similar manner, sympathy going toward Arden. Processing the information, he considered the doubt they had toward the Galra and the nearly undisturbed lives of the Fleogan people in the craters. Sure, they were forced to live below the surface of the planet, but their lives weren't anywhere near as technologically devoid as other planets, such as the Balmera. Civilians and the military alike benefitted from tech advancements, and the amount of freedom that they had in the craters was unprecedented to anything they had seen from other planets. It was certainly odd to the paladins, and Almira as well.

But there was nowhere near enough information to draw any conclusions about the mysterious disappearances from the planet. He needed more information, more theories. "What did the queen and your brother think about this?"

She nodded in approval of his question. "Information states that the break in was obvious, but there were no signs of struggle. We considered briefly the idea that it was Menew breaking Lavena out, but it doesn't make sense with what we knew of Menew."

"Any ideas on alibis?"

She shook her head, shrugging in defeat. "Menew was never one to skirt around duty. To have him suddenly vanish in the middle of a patrol where there were efforts to rebuild damages from an earlier offensive was completely out of character. As for Lavena," she paused, considering her words carefully, "she was devastated when Menew vanished. But not enough to run away; we also wouldn't know why Menew would suddenly show up after a few years only to escape with Lavena. It just doesn't make sense."

A though suddenly struck through his head, and he puzzled over it briefly. "You said that your mother disappeared as well. Do you think there's any connection to the other two?"

She had obviously not connected the two ideas before as she visibly started, drawing a sharp breath and considering the idea. "I've never considered it." A hand drew to her chin as she became lost in thought, trying to connect any possible dots. "We don't have nearly enough information about the three events, but neither do we have enough information to rule the possibility out. This is distressing news."

"I would want to say that it's the Galra, but there's absolutely no information linking them to the disappearances, let alone even an alibi for kidnappings."

Almira nodded in agreement. "They would need intimate information about travels and habits of each person. There's no way that that's possible."

The duo stood in silence, both contemplating the information before them in the dusty portrait room. Once again, there were more questions in the air than answers, and even Almira was beginning to become irritated with the little progress made. She was thirsty for justice for these two – no, now three – people whom she dearly loved; it had been delayed for far too long, and she was ready to be out for blood, Galra or not.

And yet, she remembered Arden's silent promise from across the room during their meeting. Her lips quirked, more like a twitch, but it was enough to bring back a positive outlook to their situation. "Well, at least we'll have one question answered tomorrow." Keith looked back at her in confusion, tilting his head in a way that was almost adorable. She met his gaze without humor, a deafeningly serious look. "Since Arden and I are infiltrating the northern base, we'll be looking for information on why the Galra have let us live."

"How?" As soon as the question left his lips, he knew without a doubt what their plan was from the lifting of one slender eyebrow in a mocking manner. "Seriously? That's basically suicide!"

Almira began to lead the way out of the smaller room, gesturing for the paladin to follow in suit. "Suicide would imply that we are looking to kill ourselves. I'm just suggesting that we're looking for ways to maximize our time before our enemies find themselves laid to waste on the battlefield."

"The Galra would sooner die than betray their country."

After letting him exit the room, she sealed the small door behind them, looking at him with something akin to exasperation. "There are always cowards to exploit. Don't you trust us?"

He was about to open his mouth in rebuttal, but something glittering in golden eyes made him pause. Whirling in here eyes was humor and wit, but there was also a bit of hurt that held his tongue. For all of her time being a confident, independent, warrior, he sometimes forgot that she was a person underneath the armor she constructed, and she had more than willingly torn it apart during their respite together for him to see the vulnerabilities she guarded ferociously. She had trusted him, and even though her question had been posed to Arden's and her abilities, he saw the underlying query.

 _I trusted you. Do you trust me?_

"Yes."

It was as simple as that. He trusted her capabilities, her experience, and Arden's as well. He would never vocally admit that she was beginning to worm her way through his defenses, with every move stitching together pieces of his trust that was so fragmented and violently guarded. But deep down inside, he was already begrudgingly in the process accepting the fact that she already owned small bits of his trust. There was no explanation for it, aside from the fact that she was so similar to him, betrayed by family and surrounded by people who wanted to eat them alive. She, however, had already begun to find people, although the process was selective, and she had somehow decided that Keith and the paladins were worthy of her mind, her trust.

Perhaps he also admired and looked up to the way that she was growing out of the hate that encompassed her life, striving to reach for a better future and more than willing to admit that she could not do it alone. It was this balance of determination, humbleness, and conceding of weakness that made her unstoppable, and for the life of him, Keith wanted to learn the balance that she had struck. He wanted to trust people, he knew that he did, but there was a fear stopping him almost every time. How had she overcome her obstacles, wizened through her experiences but still searching to learn more?

When she smiled, he felt even another tiny piece being won over to her trust. He refused to admit that he was slowly crumbling, but neither did he mourn the loss. He returned the smile with the crook of his own lips, and she strolled past him, unaware to the silent musings in his head.

"Then trust me when I say that we'll find the answers. They're out there." Her countenance was please, a bounce in her step almost untraceable but more noticeably there compared to other times when she stalked across a space, the smooth steps of a silent predator. She was pleased with the exchange of information; she had relayed the information she wanted, and he had given in return. Although troubling, it was an improvement, and she had to be thankful for everything given.

And then there was the boy that stood behind her. Perhaps not a boy, but not quite the man that she knew he would become some day. There was a quietness that drew her toward him; when she had told him that she had seen Lavena in his visage, she had been speaking the truth, but in complete honesty there was something more under his surface that intrigued her. Perhaps it was the fact that he shared the experience of being a fighter, a warrior, which took his understanding of her situation beyond Lavena's world of courtly topics and webs. Or perhaps it was the way that he took her seriously, not treating her as the goddess that some of the military would worship her as, but an equal, although still daunting and lethal. She tried to convince herself that it mattered not what his opinion of her was, but the feat was impossible. Of course his opinion mattered; she would not have opened herself up as much as she had done.

Perhaps she blamed the fact that she had opened up the most to him because of the trip they had shared in the red lion that fated evening as they glided through the dark tunnels of the water systems. She was friendly with the other paladins, particularly Pidge, who shared her love of technology, but there was a companionship in Keith that had not been established quite yet in the others. She valued his opinions, his presence, and his trust. Hearing that he trusted her had elated her senses, sending her into a giddy mood that seemed impossible to deflate.

Perhaps none of this mattered. She needed to focus on the final offensive the next day, where her skills would need to be at the top of their game. It was the end all, the final battle of the Fleogans against their captors. Yet her elevated mood persisted, for all the doom and gloom that settled on the city. With the paladins by her side, anything was possible. She would have her answers, her revenge, and their trust, should all go well.

There were just two more things to take care of.

* * *

It was tradition that, on the eve before a great battle, a ceremony was held to honor and invoke the spirits of the dead, to call upon their wisdom and guidance to lead and correct their mistakes. Almira's opinion of ghosts was undecided, but it never hurt to ask for help, as far as she was concerned. Abandoning her uniform for a more casual outfit that befit her royal status, fiddling with the gold bangles on her arms as she waited for Arden at the cavern where the lions sat, silent guardians that awaited their use the next day. The gentle breeze toyed with waist long locks that had been brushed out from their braid, crimping and waving about her frame. She paced along the opening, gaze flickering between her wearing route and the sharp drop into the crater on her side as her mind mused over what she wanted to say to her elder brother.

Their relationship was far from perfect, but it was what grounded Almira, what had kept her sane all these years. They had spats in the past, of course, but rarely did it ever reach the severity of this morning, the raw emotion of anger coursing through her bones and making her shudder. She had every right to be angry; perhaps on another occasion, she would have ignored him for multiple days. But it was never in her heart to be bitter, to turn stone cold against someone whose soul did not earnestly deserve it, and in the last glowing embers of the fading afternoon it was unbearable to part from her closest family and friend on bitter terms, where they would be rising to the occasion of war the next day.

Another shudder wracked her muscular frame, and she gazed at the wish makers she had picked from the royal gardens, the slender cream petals threatening to fall apart at any moment. It was their personal tradition that, before any major event in their lives, the sibling trio would make a wish upon the wishing flowers, blowing on their petals to scatter to the wind. The act recalled days of childhood where life was simpler, sheltered by their mothers and left to play fighting and romping in the gardens, and Almira hoped that her peace offering would put Arden's mind at ease.

The sun beginning to set, she noticed Arden's frame walking up the path, unhurried but striding with purpose. He had also changed from the black, form-fitted uniform into royal garb of cream pantaloons and tunics, a cape clasped with the royal standard around his neck. Brown hair had also been let down from its ponytail, brushed out as well as possible to ease the cinch where the tie had held it in place for most of the day. In his arms he carried some sort of basket, along with two small candles.

Neither said a word as he approached. Stopping her pacing, she picked up the flowers that she had set down further into the cave, approaching the opening of the cave and sitting down so that her legs hung over the edge. She fingered the slender stems, twirling them in her hands as Arden copied the motions, sitting to her left and setting his items to the other side of them. The two sat with their legs touching each other, silently gazing out at the gigantic crater as the sun began to set on the other side. Beams of light struck their eyes, yet neither seemed to mind as they sat for a few moments, collecting their thoughts as they looked out on their city, their home.

"I'm sorry for my words." Arden was the first to speak, turning to his younger sister and looking her in the eyes, the remorse bleeding honestly. "It was uncalled for."

She shook her head, lifting a hand to smooth her hair behind her shoulder as it shifted around her. "You were angry. I understand."

"That does not justify my actions. I'm sorry."

Appraising his looks, she already knew that he had carried enough grief for his words during the past hours of the day. He had suffered enough for his actions, on top of the cursing glares that she had been hurling at him during the meeting that afternoon. They both knew that they had forgiven each other hours before, as soon as they had separated, but their tempers had been what had kept them apart. Almira chuckled at the thought. "What would I have done if you said that when I was a child?"

A grin spread across his face, mellow and thoughtful in nature as he considered her words. "You definitely would have fought me, hand to hand."

Both chuckled at the thought of her tiny frame flying in a fury at his larger one, the surprise at the energy and speed that she would have brought against his own. They most certainly had fought physically while growing up, something that Queen Isolda despised because of her military training. But it had bonded them still. Arden placed a hand on her shoulder. "I meant every word that I said in our spar today. You've grown so much as a fighter, as a princess. As my sister."

Falling into a comfortable silence, he grabbed the two candles, handing one of them to her. "We'd better hurry before the sun sets." Both summoning their wind powers into their fingertips, they snapped their fingers over the wick, the rubbing winds sparking to generate a tiny flame. It was enough to start the burning of the candle, and they let their hands settle into their lap, one protecting the small flame from the breeze that fluttered through the cave and around the crater.

Almira stared at the gentle flame that flickered and wobbled around the wick, just beginning to eat away at the wax that dripped into a small tin container around the bottom. There was something about fire that soothed her senses, similar to the streams of water that trickled through the royal compounds. But fire was different in its instantaneous impacts; water could carve mountains from nothing, slowly feeding the plants that lapped at its source, whereas fire consumed all in seconds, decimating anything in its path with the playful flicker of reds and blues. She allowed herself to be absorbed into the mesmerizing dance of the flame before her before committing to her task, the private ceremony before her. Closing her eyes briefly, she focused on the candle in her hands, her senses reaching out.

 _Aisiris Nester, I beckon your spirit. I know it's been a while, but I need you. Help me in this fight. Help me end the reign of the Galra, for you. For the both of us. For all of us. I need you, please._

On opening her eyes she looked at Arden, whose deep golden gaze rested fondly on hers. She nodded, and he looked somewhere between his candle and the city below their feet, the emerald fronds swaying in the wind. "Boreas and Notus of the north and south, Eurus and Zephyrus of the east and west, bid their spirits come rest in us." Her voice joined in with Arden as they took in the sun, ready to set at any moment. "Let their hands join in ours, let their spirits be our guide, let us listen to their mistakes as we right their wrongs, in hopes that we may see our victory."

As they finished speaking, the sun's last rays disappeared on the horizon, the sky unleashing its masterpiece of dusk as the green canvas below completing the rainbow hues that arched across the upper space. Their candles seemed to flicker more strongly now, and Almira it was in moments like these that she tended to lean toward the existence of ghosts, the spirits of the past invoked in the traditional ceremony. Regretfully, she lifted the candle to her lips, blowing the flame out in a puff and watching intently as the wisps of smoke wavered from the waxy stem. Arden had copied her move, setting the candle aside and bringing the basket onto his lap. "I thought you might try to skip the meal tonight, so I brought some things to force you to eat."

Out came a loaf of traditional Fleogan bread that was rich in local nuts and berries, along with a flask of water. Almira smiled contently, setting her candle down to the side and picking up the flowers she had picked. "Before you do, I have a gift." Arden's eyes widened at the flowers, a playful grin on his lips. His hand gingerly took the stem that was extended toward him, fingers gracing the velvet petals as he smelled the delicate fragrance.

"In any other case, I'd think that you were trying to distract me from eating."

Rolling her eyes, she elbowed the prince in the ribs, chuckling at the grunt he emitted from the sharp jab. Copying his motions, she lifted the delicate flower to her nose one last time. "To our victory." A deep breath of air preceded the strong exhale from her chest, blowing the petals into the air and watching them drift away into the chasm below with fond reminiscence. Wish makers were Almira's favorite flower, most likely because of the memories that burbled up from her heart with fond feelings and emotions. It was only right that they have them on the eve before the battle.

Arden breathed in the fragrance one final time. "To Lavena." He blew steadily, exerting just enough pressure as he carefully peeled the petals from their base with his breath. They appeared to chase after the petals of Almira's own, whimsically dancing on the last tendrils of the warmed afternoon air. His attention was quickly turned to the bread and water he had procured, tearing off a bit and handing it to his sister, a warning glance in his eyes. "You had better finish half of this loaf, at the very least. I'm not above hand feeding it down your throat."

Slender hands took the bread gingerly in her fingers as she tore small pieces off, popping them into her mouth and chewing slowly, savoring the taste. She was a trained warrior, a legend among her people, and still she dreaded waking up the next morning, nauseous with dread and anxiety. The thought was almost enough to lock her jaw in fear, but she continued to eat. Arden had been serious with his threat about forcing her to eat, and deep down inside, she knew that it would be her only sustenance until the battle was finished, whenever that would be. It was in her best interest to eat the night before so that she could process as much as possible before the morning, where her stomach would attempt to visit her mouth and the outside world. She could feel his eyes watching her carefully as he chewed his own portion.

Swallowing another piece, she looked at the bread in her hands. "So this is it." Arden looked at her, a question on his face, although Almira had the feeling that he knew exactly what she was talking about. Looking out to the hidden city below, she could almost feel the feasting beginning among the various cadets and military personnel. "If we get it right, it's over. The Galra. The beginning of a new chapter."

Arden took a swig of water, contemplating her words before swallowing and answering. "But it'll be far from over." Confused, she looked at his face as their eyes met. "The Galra Empire is massive. Voltron won't be able to fight it alone."

If she said that the thought of the future hadn't crossed her mind, she would have been lying. It was fair enough, however, to say that she had been shoving all thoughts to the back of her head until their war was over. There was no point in worrying over the future that relied on another move, but now that Arden had brought the idea up, there was no running. "They won't have to. It might take time, but we'd figure out how to get up there."

Their gazes turned toward the sky. "Space," Arden breathed, taking in the hues of lilac and other pastels. "We're a people of the sky, and yet space is the one place that we haven't been in the past ten thousand years."

Almira snorted, gesturing for him to pass the water as she took a deep swig, washing the bread down her throat. "We haven't even had control over the surface of the planet. Let's start there first before we leave the ground."

"Say, what do you think it's like inside Old Altaira?"

"No idea. Dusty, probably."

"Smart ass."

"Just realistic. Keep dreaming, ass."

"You can't just throw my insult back at me like that!"

"Ass is my insult. But I guess I could call you dumb ass if you insist."

Playful glares were quick to disintegrate into laughter, the tension and formality dissolving with the armistice of giggling voices. Almira tossed her head back, moonlight strands dancing around her face as she brushed them out of her way, tucking them behind an ear and tossing them over her shoulder again. Arden looked on fondly, smile still spread across his lips at her ease.

She braced her hands on either side of her, leaning forward slightly as a serene smile graced and complimented shining yellow eyes. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow we find answers."

Her brother said nothing, instead choosing to tear off another chunk of bread and handing it to his half sister. She rolled her eyes but accepted the piece, picking at it again into smaller pieces before popping them into her mouth. Taking advantage of her silence, Arden got down to business. "I'm thinking that the two of us should split up once we get inside the northern base." Their demeanor grew serious, the vision of the two siblings morphing into two of the fiercest fighters that Fleogas had to offer. "I'll take a team to the communications tower through the weapons hangars. You'll need to take another through the barracks and other buildings."

Nodding, she swallowed her piece of bread, hand poised to chomp down on another. "I flush out anyone who might be hiding, or whatever other secrets they have in the background. You get the big guys."

Arden smiled cheekily. "That's certainly one way of putting it. But yes; if you find any offices or such, search them out. They could have answers. Data files, whatever you can get your hands on."

"We'll be on a time crunch."

"Promise me something."

About to protest, she saw his eyes glimmer with something more serious. Was it fear that she saw, glazing the surface and penetrating her soul? She mutely nodded in affirmation, waiting for what he had to say.

"Whatever happens, you're more important. If it comes between answers and your life, I'd pick you, any time. I don't want another Lavena."

She shook her head weakly. "Arden, Lavena could still be alive. We don't know," she trailed off, unwilling to finish her own statement. Of course it had crossed her mind that Lavena could be dead somewhere, but she had to hope that her sister, their sister, was alive. There had been enough loss, and instead she sighed, giving a nod and staring at her hands in her lap. "I promise." She was reminded of Lavena's final promise, the memory filling her body with hesitance to make another promise that had the potential to be broken. This, however, was her life, and if it took a thousand oaths to reassure Arden's mind, she would see it done.

Choking up, she felt tears coming to her eyes as she looked at her brother, her world. "I love you. You know that, right?"

His arm pulled her in tighter to his frame, the safety of the wings that had always pushed to keep her safe from whatever he could. The sky had transformed into an intense display of primary hues, crimson and purples streaking the evening canvas. Just above the breeze, his voice floated quietly into her ears as she relaxed. "Just as much as I love you. We'll make it through this. We always have."

The duo sat quietly along the mouth of the cave for a while longer, content to watch the sky fade away into dusk, the last traces of the breath of day lingering for just a moment longer before melting into dreamless black. By the time the stars made their glittery appearance among the cosmos of the deep beyond, the duo had made their way back to the palace, leaving the silent vigil of the lions and back into something more familiar, one final time. Nothing was ever to be the same, and Almira knew that she would treasure that evening for a lifetime to come, sitting side by side with her mentor, protector, brother, and friend as the final day came to an end. The glittering sunset in the distance and in golden orbs next to her was a treasure moment, worth more than all the riches stored away in her closets, the adornments of a royal life once rejected, twice accepted.

With the night came the unsettled darkness, the anticipation of a bloody dawn and the drawing of guns. Sleep was difficult to come by, but those who did find it tenaciously gripped at the fringes until the quiet rally of the morning, where lines would be drawn and final goodbyes would be spoken. Almira slept as much as she could, haunted by dreams of offensives from time immemorial, violent whirlwinds and the tearing of gunshots through tempered metal, and gunmetal eyes that stared into her soul.

* * *

 **AN:** I thought that I would have time during my Thanksgiving break to write. I could not have been more wrong; my professors have decided that Thanksgiving break is a great time for take home tests and homework, and my mom has been asking for help with cooking. I don't mind any of it at all, but I've really wanted to give you all more content. Honestly, I never thought that I would get more than twenty views, but here we are. Thank you so, so, so, much again.

So here we are! This honestly turned out to be a massive chapter, and I hope that I can write more like this in the future. I try to make sure that each chapter from here on out has around 4,000 words or so, just because I know it's nice to get a lot of content (or, at least, I enjoy reading chunky chapters). But honestly, this one ended up being a monster... but here we are. At least it's a content packed monster... ?

Please leave a comment/ review if you would like to see more, and I will do my best to oblige!


	11. Genesis

**Chapter 11 – Genesis**

.

* * *

 _She was standing in the palace gardens, the sun high above them in the afternoon light. In the distance, she saw three figures standing at the base of the willow tree, obscured slightly by the waving, leafy wires that were brushed with the breeze. She ran in their direction, stopping before the safety of the branches, looking in at the two._

 _They were only shadows, but she was convinced that she knew who they were. Her feet were unable to move any further, forcing her to gaze at the image in front of her. She was mesmerized, but her heart ached for some reason unbeknownst to her, a longing for something long lost, yet familiar._

 _Footsteps approached her position, but neither could she now turn her head as much as move a muscle. Her body was frozen in this dreamscape, submitting to the machinations of her subconscious. It was a muscular figure, taller than her figure by a full head, the confidence that trailed each movement evoking memories of the past. The voice that spoke was a deep alto, a slow moving river that was as deep as it was wide in experience._

 _"It's almost time to go."_

 _In the dream, she had almost no physical control. She writhed against the invisible hold that snared her limbs, desperately trying to take a closer look. Her voice let out a whimper, her weakness forcing her confidence to succumb to the greater power. "Don't leave me."_

 _A hand brushed through unbound tresses of starlight, the movement soothing and relaxing her muscles. The woman's voice came from next to her, a chuckle leaving her lips. "I never left. I am always with you."_

 _The two gazed into the arms of the willow tree, the three figures beneath unmoving, staring back at the two like an animal caught skulking through the forest at midnight. Almira tried to get a closer look, but she was still bound to her place. "Who are they?"_

 _"You know who they are." The rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. "Just as you know me."_

 _"Aisiris."_

 _The hand stopped on top of her head, pausing at the recognition. "You called my name last night. I will never leave your side."_

 _"Tell me what you know." The recognition of the phantom, the ghost of her predecessor made her desperate again to glean any information that she could. The afternoon sunlight was beginning to fade from the dream, her vision beginning to spot with darkness._

 _"A red sun rises. You must fulfill your destiny."_

 _"Aisiris."_

 _"I will never leave you. I never have. When the north wind blows in your favor, know that I will always be on your side."_

 _"I'm afraid."_

 _"I will always be on your side."_

Almira woke in a cold sweat, breathing hard as she ran to the bathroom to unload her stomach. It was empty, but heaved anyway at the nerves that had finally awoken her from her restless slumber. There was no point in sleeping any longer; it was almost time for her to begin preparations for their trip to the launch site. After a few moments of resting on the cool marble floors she righted herself to bathe. Who knew when the next time would be that she would get the chance to feel clean again?

Brutally steaming water pelted her skin as she revisited the figure in her dream. It was no surprise that Aisiris had appeared; if Almira believed in ghosts, then it was almost expected that the ghost of the former Wind Bender Captain would visit her after the invoking ceremony she had performed with Arden. But this had never happened before, not to the extent where she was almost certain that a ghost had spoken to her. Usually dreams of people long deceased occurred in the reliving of an event, not something new. Frowning, she scrubbed her hair with fragrant soaps, ridding the sweat that had worked its way into her slumber. Such a vivid dream could not bid good tidings.

But just as much as Almira was unnerved, she had also been calmed by the appearance of her former role model. Certainly there had been the tidings of a red dawn, which guaranteed bloodshed on a massive scale, and perhaps the mystery of the three individuals obscured by the willow tree, but the ghost had insisted that she was always with Almira, and that was another small comfort that she carried with her as she continued her preparations. The tumultuous waves of emotions surged in her gut, although less violently now that there was nothing left to overthrow. The steaming water flushed all suds from grey strands that seemed to flatten in color, contrasting her now flushed face from the heat.

Her uniform was already strewn across a chair in her room in preparation for the morning, differing significantly from the typical black that most of the military wore on a regular basis. The traditional war uniform was made from a light grey cloth, tight fitted without losing an individual's full range of motion. Close inspection revealed glittering threads, coming from flexible metallic fibers that made the material difficult to pierce. Even so, further precautions were taken with silver, reflective, pieces of armor, the bright surfaces working to reflect sunlight in order to stun their enemies and blind them while also being functional, protective, units on their own. The sight of the uniform simultaneously filled her with excitement and dread, for everything that it represented.

No sooner than she had pulled her hair into a temporary bun and slid on the one piece uniform, a knock on the door sounded, jolting her out of her musings. The door slid open without waiting for an answer, revealing Arden's slightly worn but determined face, carrying pieces of armor in his arms and hands. He offered a smile as he entered, closing the door behind him and walking over to dump his armor on her bed, chuckling at Almira pulled a face at his disheveled behavior. She sighed in a resigned fashion before chucking the silver breastplate at his face, his hands deftly catching the piece before colliding with his face. "Let's get this over with."

She had only ever worn the traditional armor on a handful of occasions, but it was enough to know that it was nearly impossible to dress by one's self. It was therefore tradition that the warrior siblings would assist each other, their presence with one another calming. The sun was still nowhere near approaching, as darkness cascaded around the room, save for the gentle flickering of lamplights that cast shadows all about while sparkling and reflecting off of the armor. Sliding buckles and tightening straps into place, the duo was efficient in their work, assisting one another before working on their own leg guards. Almira was first to finish, pacing around the room while braiding her hair tightly, damp grey locks beginning to regain their luminescence in the dim light. Arden's eye varied between watching her pacing and focusing on his own fingers as they finished their final touches.

"I had a dream." Hushed voice accompanied the flickering of the lamp that Almira approached, vanishing its presence as she began to prepare to leave the room. Arden simply stared at her figure, waiting for a full explanation and knowing that her nerves were beginning to get the best of her. "Aisiris, she told me that she was always with me."

He nodded in affirmation. "An auspicious sign. That is good news."

"But she said that a red dawn is rising today." The panic in Almira's voice was beginning to get to her as she fiddled with the straps around her forearms, drawing into herself. "What does it mean?" The duo understood the connotations of the sentence; Almira wasn't asking the obvious question, her real question lying underneath the surface.

Arden finished clasping his royal blue cloak into place, striding over to the sofa where Almira's sky blue cloak lay. Snatching it up, he shook the fabric out and walked over to his sister's position, seizing the opportunity in the pause of her pacing as he secured it into the armor, slipping under the pauldrons and clasping it around her neck. She quieted at the comfort that his close presence brought, the smell of fir trees washing over her in contentment and stillness. His lips were turned in a gentle smile. "Father always says that we can never worry about what will happen-"

"But only to worry about what we can do, and what we will do to make things right." She sighed, dropping her hands to her side and looking back at golden eyes, flickering orange in the low light. "I know. I just want this to end well."

"As we all do." Finished securing the cloak, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Stay in the moment. We've trained for this."

Almira thought it to be the overstatement of the century. They had certainly trained, for years on end, but had they ever actually hoped that they would overthrow the Galra and end their reign? Almost everyone had, at some point in their life, dreamed of such a prospect, but before Voltron appeared, such dreams were as much as that. However, they were dreams, nothing tangible, nothing attainable. It was so sudden, unexpected, and overwhelming that they were about to head into the fight for not only their lives, but for the sake of their civilization. But here they were, and she could do nothing except accept their situation and rise to the occasion, like she had so many times before. Nodding back at him, she grasped his hands; clasping them in between their two figures for a moment, face more hopeful and determined than before.

"Let's do this."

* * *

If asked to comment on the amount of sleep they had gotten, the paladins would mostly likely remark between the range of barely sufficient to enough. There were certainly nerves about the entire situation; this offensive was their first coordinated attack with the inhabitants of the planet against the Galra. Even the events with the Balmera seemed like ages ago, and not nearly as immensely intense as these here, but there was no doubt in some of their minds that these battles would be plentiful in the future.

The sky was still blissfully dark, a multitude of stars illuminating the sky above with crystalline clarity, unaware of the secretive movements from the planet's surface. Almost all Fleogan units were currently moving through the planet's tunnel systems, the final pieces being the lions that were to take the waterways once again. The paladins stood in the cave that had sheltered the massive figures for the past full day, alternating between observing the crown city for one final time and watching the bustling of activity as military personnel ran around the cave, technicians pulling finishing touches on aircraft carriers and pods. Even with the burst of movement that was atypical from the empty quiet of the cave, all noises were at a minimum, almost silent if one was not intentionally searching for any sound. A barrier, ensuring that their work was unnoticed by anyone outside of the cave, had apparently cloaked the bright lights that were certain to have caught the attention of Galra patrols from the surface. As far as anyone was concerned, there was no observable activity from the outside world, enveloping in a massive secret.

A Warper captain with raven like hair and eyes named Jin, differing from the lead tactician, had already introduced himself to the group, signifying his leadership over the western offensive. He had begun talking with Lance and Hunk further inside the cave, the two designated paladins to work with his command. Pidge was off assisting other Fleogans with last minute touches and repairs, while Keith and Shiro observed the entire scene, content to converse with each other in their last few minutes before separating. Everyone was alert, ready for the long day ahead.

It was almost a surprise when Almira and Arden suddenly appeared out of the darkness, stepping into the lighting of the cave. Their presence was noticed by nearly everyone in the cave, most military personnel turning to salute out of respect before returning to their work. Glittering in their armor, they strode toward Shiro and Keith, silver helmets matching the dull grey of their uniform secured under their arms. Keith noted the Dao sword strapped to Almira's back, a small, sheathed dagger at her left hip. Both siblings also had a strange, slender, metal pole strapped to their right hip, about one foot in length. With their shimmering appearance came the deadly aura that both were known to exude; their faces intense with focus, it was enough to believe that a look could actually strike someone dead, out of fear or sheer intensity, no one knew. Deadliness was beautifully lethal in elegant strides; lips caught in a straight line that hovered around disapproval at anyone who dared approach them.

And just as suddenly the visage broke with the quick upturn of lips into a gentle smile, harsh demeanor fracturing into something much more approachable. The golden eyes that the team had begun to grow fond of instantly transformed from deadly assassins to open determination of comrades in arms. Any perceptions of misgivings from the previous day were thrown out the door at the comfortable nature between the two as they walked side by side in synchronicity. For all the differences in physical appearances, the two could not have been more similar as they approached Shiro and Keith, the two nodded at their appearance. Shiro frowned slightly, confused at the sudden and unanticipated change of events. "Are you two alright now?"

Exchanging an amused glance, Almira raised an elegantly sculpted eyebrow, Arden sheepishly smiling at the look. "We've reconciled our words with one another. We have more important things to do than to be feuding at this moment." The younger nodded in approval, giving a wider smile to the two paladins, although it looked slightly forced on her face.

"I'll check to see how far we are from departure." Backing away before turning on her heel, she strode further into the cavern, the three remaining men watching her figure disappear. Shiro looked back at Arden, whose serious visage had returned.

"Is she honestly alright?"

Arden exhaled through his nose, gaze lingering on the brilliant head of starlight that strode through the space, a sun in the galaxy that gravitated around her movement. "She has seen her share of battles, but she is still young. Her composure in battle is unrivaled, but more often than not, the moments leading up to the action fill her with anxiety."

Accepting the answer as a valid reason for the captain's jittery nature, Shiro nodded his head, turning to focus back on the general in front of him. "And you?"

The brown haired man shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at all apprehensive. The scale of this battle is beyond anything any of us have experienced." His gaze turned to the lions in the massive space; all seeming to stare blankly back at his position. "But we're all in. You're the hope that has us moving."

"We're going to make it happen." Shiro's determination behind his words forced Arden to cast a glance back at the two paladins, surveying their demeanor. If anything, he had learned that they were serious when it came to fighting the Galra, not even the playful joking Lance skirted his duties when it came down to the wire. He would be a fool to not trust their words; whether he liked it or not, the five had earned his trust unwittingly. Nodding, he looked back to observe the chaos inside the cave.

The three stood quietly until Arden spotted Almira's brilliant head making its way back in their direction. She had pulled Pidge, Lance, Hunk, and Jin into tow, the four flanking her as she strode through the space. Her face was serious again, unsmiling although still somehow just as radiant as any other time. She addressed everyone, although her focus shifted between Shiro and Arden. "They're ready for us to split. We should get going." Nodding her head to the other Fleogan officers, she motioned for them to follow her a short distance away while the Voltron team said their final words to each other before loading up.

Arden was the first to speak to the group, taking initiative as the highest-ranking officer. "We'll need to keep our communications primary in order to coordinate the attacks and make sure that we get the lions to the northern base as closely timed as possible. Stick to the plan, but don't hesitate to improvise should you see the opportunity."

"I ran the logistics over with Keith and Eaghan," Almira's voice was subdued. "While we technically have the longest route, the red lion is the fastest. It's calculated that, if we all depart at the same time, we'll arrive together."

Quirking an eyebrow, the general looked at Almira in a slightly patronizing fashion. "Eaghan ran the math? I'd double check."

The silver haired captain was quick to shoot a glare back in his direction. "We don't have time, and you shouldn't doubt Eaghan like that. He is more than capable than you would take him to be."

"The slimy worm…" Arden trailed off, but stopped after her glare intensified, daring him to continue with his statement. Jin looked at the two in amusement, already familiar with the joking patterns that the duo utilized with one another. Clearing his throat, the general waved a hand. "Fine, fine. I'll take your word." It was obviously a statement that ignored anything that Eaghan had to do with the subject, but Almira accepted it for what it was worth.

"So this is it?" Jin's voice drew their attention, a mix of hopefulness and anxiety in his tone. "This is really it?"

Almira smiled, clapping him on the shoulder in camaraderie. "We still have a long road ahead. But," she paused, looking at Arden and recalling their words earlier, "for all that it's worth, we're almost there." The trio shared honest smiles, bared of all restrictions as emotions of nervousness and anxiety surfaced. It, however, seemed to strengthen their bond, and Almira looked to the paladins emotionally as they began to disperse into the cave, toward their lions. "For Fleogas."

The three exchanged handshakes, firmly grasping one another's forearms respectfully. Jin was the first to walk away in Lance's direction, leaving the two siblings to say goodbye. They paused for a moment, looking at each other before Almira rushed in with an embrace, wrapping slender, toned arms around his waist. Arden's own arms circled around her back protectively, resting a chin on her head. His voice was caught with emotion as he whispered just loudly enough for her to hear. "Be safe."

Unwilling to speak a word, Almira settled for mutely nodding her head before backing away, a determined look on her face. "I'll see you soon."

He crossed his arms playfully as Shiro caught up to him, both walking in the direction of the black lion. "Don't be late." A small smile covered his lips before he turned away, striding side by side with the black paladin. Almira looked on fondly from her position, unmoving even as Keith approached her, following her gaze to see what had caught her attention. He let her gaze on for a few moments longer, understanding her desire and anxiety about her brother before finally moving closer to her side.

"You ready?"

His voice pulled her from her trance as she slowly removed her gaze into Keith's own. The look on both their faces was arguably the most serious they had been, but there were still undercurrents of warmth and friendly familiarity. She nodded slowly as he turned toward the red lion, following in suit. There was sure to be another long ride back to Urudu to give her more time to calm her nerves.

Or, more likely in her case, to make her more fidgety. She groaned internally at the thought as they made their way into the cockpit, Keith settling down into the chair as she immediately turned back to the seat she had made to his right, down on the floor and away from any important control panels. Leaning against the cool metal as the lion came to life, she placed the helmet in her lap.

"Distract me."

To his credit, the red paladin didn't even flinch. "What else do you want to know about me? I thought we've gotten to know each other pretty well." His voice was amused at her discontent as she rolled her eyes and groaned in exasperation, muscles tightening as the lion began to move.

"We've got another long ride ahead, so sue me if I don't want to sit in silence and my anxiety about everything."

The seething irritation and biting wit coming from her gentle frame was enough to get Keith to snort quietly to himself, amused at her situation. Thinking for a moment, he finally settled on a question. "When did you join the army?"

Golden eyes rolled. "The military? Or the Wind Benders." Seeing shoulders shrug with indifference, she sighed and stared out the window at the dark night that began to sail past them. In her mind's eye she began to reminisce of an older time, where she had been weaker in physicality but fiery in temper. "I entered the military young, since I was glued to Arden's side. I was seventy-five."

"What?" Keith whipped his head to look at the woman at his side, double taking at the admission in disbelief. "There's no way-"

An eyebrow rose at his doubting. "No way what?"

A cough covered a choke as he swiftly turned his head away again, not daring to look at Almira's figure beside him. "Nothing. I just thought you were younger."

Both eyebrows raised in confusion, contemplating his strange reaction. "I am young. I'm ninety-eight. Unless," she paused, realization sinking into her mind as the seconds passed. She grinned as she began to recognize his sudden reaction, her playful attitude coming out in abandoning her stressed and anxious emotions. "You couldn't be younger than me, could you?" A muffled grunt of disbelief was the only admission that came from his figure, as she strained to look at his face from her spot on the ground. Her grin only became wider as she saw irritated and embarrassed features on his grumpy façade, finding response to be adorable.

Adorable? She shook her head. Yeah, she had to give it to him; if he was younger than her, then the expression of irritations was like a toddler who had been denied a favorite toy, although she wouldn't begin likening him to an extremely small child any time soon. She had already begun to know who he was as an individual, so there was nothing that could dissuade Almira from seeing him as anything but a peer, an equal, even despite the apparent age difference. "Come on," she goaded him on cheerfully, "how old are you?" A few muffled responses had her chuckling as she leaned forward onto her knees beside him, shoving his shoulder in a gentle, playful manner. "I can't heeear youuuu," she sang in a singsong manner.

"Fine! I'm eighteen."

Owlish eyes blinked at him in surprise. "Really? You don't look eighteen. You look more like my age."

Scoffing, although visibly relieved at the reaction and the lack of more teasing, he glanced to his side in her direction, refusing to meet eyes. "Yeah, well where I come from, you look like my age."

Almira hummed in response, moving to sit back down and getting comfortable. "I suppose that we do have extraordinarily long life spans in comparison to other races. It might have to do with our weight and bone density. I remember reading a book about it when I was younger. Wasn't particularly fond of it, but my tutor forced me to."

Keith was beginning to move away from his embarrassment at his assumption, in addition to his youth in comparison to his lovely comrade. Her serious reaction and lack of teasing beyond forcing his admission out of him only served as a reminder of how serious and trusting she had been of him, furthering his trust of her. Readjusting his position on his seat, she toyed a bit with the controls as they began the descent into the water systems again, visuals adjusted for the even darker view. "Weight?"

Her voice turned matter-of-factly, pompously and proudly reciting bits of information that she had learned. "The less weight you have, the less gravity you have to deal with. I mean," she paused, frowning at her own conflicting information, "gravity impacts us all equally, but there's something about that that I learned. I dunno," she tossed her braid around playfully, turning her mind from the information, "I don't keep a lot of that information in my head. I've been geared in the military for so long, I only remember what I need."

He highly doubted that her brain was devoid of information save what she needed for her current line of work; something told him that she was sharper and more knowledgeable than she portrayed herself to be. He returned to the questions again as he piloted the red lion deeper into the lake, the familiarity pushed away the caution that he had used the first time. "You said something about bone density?"

Almira nodded to herself. "Our bodies can't be too heavy, or else our wings couldn't carry us. Most of our weight is in our muscles and organs."

"Wings?"

She paused, reflecting on the events of the past day. "You saw the wings on my father, the King, right? Every Fleogan is like that, but we have the ability to hide our wings so that they don't hinder us all the time." She visibly shuddered at the thought. "Imagine getting your wings wet in the rain and having to dry them off all the time. Gross."

Keith was still trying to process the steady flow of information. He didn't mind distracting her by asking questions, but sometimes he wasn't ready for the amount of information that Almira was ready to dispense. Around her, he was always learning, but he found that he didn't mind any of the lessons that came from her. She never made him feel like he was somehow lesser for not being privy to any knowledge that she touted around, even it if was as basic as the abilities and features of her people, something innate in her. It wasn't like the Garrison, where proud lieutenants horded their experience and knowledge over the younger cadets, who were expected to respect that sort of control. It made his blood boil, thinking back to how he had been treated, but in contrast, Almira made him feel welcome. Her partial commentary made the lessons humors, and he quirked a smile at her comments about wet feathers. Being drenched in rain in an undesired circumstance appeared to be universal, in this case.

Pausing her tirade, Almira smiled. "Hey Keith?" A sound of acknowledgement filled the space as he turned to look at his companion. Her gentle smile caught him off guard. For all the tense and guarded looks that she had worn that morning, he hadn't been expecting anything that was fully relaxed, and he fell into golden eyes that shimmered in gentle satisfaction. "Thank you."

He smiled back at the captain before returning his attention to the screen in front of him, looking for the bottom of the lake. It was hard to imagine that just one day ago, he had been dreading her accompaniment in his lion as they breached a new planet. Her confident, yet compassionate demeanor had interrupted his life, and he struggled to turn his thoughts away from what would happen once they left Fleogas. He would miss her, certainly, her company and her diverse knowledge and experience, but most importantly her trust and respect that she had so willingly given him, somehow ripping it from his grasp at the same time. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts to return to the present. They had a war to fight.

"So what else should we talk about?"

.

* * *

Immediately upon arrival, Almira had been swept away by other captains awaiting final preparations after promising to contact Keith before they lifted off. She had barely taken ten steps away from the lion when she was surrounded by her command, her legion of Wind Benders who were quick to assert their disappointment over their separation from their commander in addition to the excitement of the reappearance of Voltron and their readiness for the fight ahead. Once she had finally dismissed her excited crew, the commanders of the Lansild and Warpers arrived to hound her with last minute questions. She was thankful once Captain Siufon appeared by her side, having left the capital city immediately after the debrief the day before in order to assist the preparations. The duo began making their way through their weapons stronghold in the crater, dishing out answers left and right to anything that came their way.

After what seemed to be a never-ending plethora of questions, she and Siufon managed to dismiss the final cadet, breathing a sigh of relief at the end of the surge of questions. The red lion was parked outside the long warehouse that stored a mixture of repurposed Galra fighters and original replications, along with other various weapons, and the two captains walked further away from the entrance. Almira was almost certain that Keith was staring at her back from the lion, awaiting any orders and alert as usual. Briefly shoving all thoughts of the red paladin from her mind, she turned to the final orders of business. "You've outdone yourself again, Siufon. I'm pleased to see the preparations completed."

He saluted with a grin. "Of course. Everything must be perfect for the goddess herself." Rolling her eyes in a good natured manner, she continued to walk through the hangar, observing the technicians running around while the militarized units began loading into the fighters. The Warper captain continued more seriously. "As soon as everyone finishes loading in, we'll be ready."

Nodding in appreciation, she spared a glance at him. "Whom will I be piloting with?"

Siufon stopped, forcing Almira to pause as well. "You'll be in fighter 9359 with Captain Ir of the Lansild." Pointing to a fighter ahead on their left, she noted the blonde haired captain talking with a technician in a calm manner, unaware of her gaze. "We thought to pair you with a higher rank so that your departure will be more smooth."

Almira clapped his shoulder. "Always the best from you. I'm glad we'll be working together on this offensive."

He smiled, offering his hand for a final handshake, Almira gladly grasping his forearm. "As am I. I must return to my pilot. Do us all a favor," he retracted his arm, smiling while he saluted. "Stay alive."

Bowing her head, he accepted the wordless gesture as he jogged away, back toward the entrance of the hangar. For a moment she paused, looking at the entrance as the first rays of sunlight began to penetrate the air. The first offensive had surely begun, and now they were on a time crunch. She in turn stepped in the direction of the Lansild captain, who saluted as he noticed her approach. Almira was slightly less familiar with the Lansild in general, but she briefly remembered the stoic, middle-aged man from her first offensive, which had been one of their leads at the time. She smiled reservedly, feeling her serious walls begin to climb again as the time to take off advanced rapidly. Extending a hand, he readily grabbed her arm in a solid shake, which made both smirk in satisfaction. "Captain." He nodded to the fighter behind them. "We're ready when you are."

"Thank you, Ir. Ready a communications link with the entire team and building." Taking the lead, she jumped into the rear seat of the fighter, allowing the other captain to take the lead. In terms of strategy, Almira had been insistent that she fight alongside her team instead of watching from the lion. It had sparked some debate about the efficiency of the red lion leaving the field, but she had managed to convince the captains that she would be able to eject from the fighter and make her way to the lion, provided that they keep in close contact. It was a slightly selfish move, she had to admit, but she was resolute and stood by her desires. She was not about to let her command risk their lives without her by their side.

Resolutely coiling her braid and tucking it inside her helmet, she powered up the device and opened all systems. A green flash at the bottom of her screen confirmed the security of her line, and she waited for the captain seated in front of her to open the line for their team. Securing themselves into the bird, they booted up all systems, revving engines and confirming the loading of weapons, which Almira was to man.

A thumbs-up from the captain in front of her confirmed the opening of the communication line, and Almira felt herself slip into the mask of the ever-confident commander. Her mind calmed, pulse steadying as her mind began to shut down and focus on the task in front of her.

"Strike Team Eru, this is Captain Almira." She waited a moment to ensure that she had everyone's attention, seeing the technicians pause in the space outside as her voice surely filled the space. Inhaling a steady breath, she continued on with confident gravity.

"Time is not something to be wasted. As such, you all know our mission; we are to regain control of the Galra base at Doseogwan. We have limited time before the red lion and I must head to the ruins of Old Altaira, and before we must divvy up our own forces to carry on to the northern base as well. Strike hard, strike fast. Show no mercy, for we will be shown none." She paused, looking outside the window to the red lion that stood beyond the walls, seeming to her as though it guarded the last moments of respite before the bloody dawn that was surely breaking over the planet. Gathering her thoughts, she continued.

"I believe in us. Our people believe in us. The galaxy believes in us, where freedom still breathes." She paused, allowing a smirk to come over her face. "Let's kick some ass." Motioning to the captain in front of her to cut the line, she sighed as she heard rallying cries of excitement from beyond their walls, allowing a smile to drift over her lips before resuming her façade as the serious commander. "Open a link to General Arden and Captain Jin of the Warpers."

It was only moments before the communications patched through, two small visuals appearing on the screen before them of the two men. Arden grinned. "You're almost late."

"Almost, dear brother, but never late." Her tone turned the conversation more serious. "How are we doing?"

"We're on standby, waiting for orders. We've been cleared to launch by headquarters to begin the second offensive." Jin had been the one to respond, his features slightly distracted by what Almira assumed to be final preparations in his respective aircraft. It had been decided that all Wind Benders and Warpers were to utilize the fighters until each battle was nearly over, then striking out individually to ensure personal eradication on a lower level after the most severe threats had been eliminated. While all military personnel had basic training in the Fleogan aircrafts, the Warpers and Wind Benders were the most out of touch, to say the least; most of their work for the past few thousand years had been stealth based, operating silently in person rather than flashily attacking with their technological advancements. Even Almira was slightly uncomfortable in her seat, although she was relieved that she was a second to the pilot, who was fluidly operating the craft like a practiced artisan.

Arden smiled. "If we're ready, then." Accepting the nods as confirmation, he turned serious once again, speaking as the general and first in command. "Commence the second offensive. Reopen lines when you're nearing completion of securing your respective bases."

After vocal confirmation, the communications cut out. Almira rolled her shoulders. "Commence operations." The command was all Captain Ir needed to lift the bird off, steering it slowly toward the opening of the hangar to signal the others to fire up their engines. In her own helmet, Almira opened a line to Keith, waiting a few moments before he answered, stormy grey eyes appearing in her visuals. She smiled first, to which he smirked in response. "Are you ready?"

"As ever."

"Let's do this."

As her own aircraft drew closer to the exit, she saw the red lion powering up, yellow eyes flaring as a feral growl penetrated the air and effectively sending shivers down everyone's spines. Jumping out into the air, the Strike Unit slowly filtered out of the hangar, building into formation above the lake's surface. Almira's eyes watched the monitors carefully as they waited for every unit to emerge, forming ranks around and behind her.

The last craft emerging and circling up behind, Almira looked at the captain in front of her, calling out from her elevated position behind him. "Are you ready, Captain Ir?"

She was certain that if she had looked upon his face, he would have been smirking, an oddly eerie sight on the face of the stoic captain. "Whenever you are, my lady."

Pulling out from the crater, their fighter pilot took the lead, slowly increasing speed until they were at full power, blasting across the dusty surface of the planet toward the Galra base in the not so far distance, the ruins of the ancient library behind it. Without looking, Almira could feel her troops behind her, the red lion flying above as it gauged their speed. Her gut began to settle as alarms began blaring from the ruined station, small fighters flying out from the base. It was nothing in comparison to what they had witnessed from Voltron's attack a few nights previous, and Almira could almost taste the victory at their hand.

Gripping the controls, she activated their shields moments before the first firing lasers began making their way toward their troops. It was now or never.

The war had begun.

.

* * *

AN: I'm getting distracted; I just got a PS4 and I've been playing Overwatch a bunch. I'm considering an Overwatch OC and fanfic... Anyone interested? I'll only start it after I finish this story though.

Thank you for all your patience with me. As always, leave a comment or review if you're enjoying this story or have some insights! I appreciate everything.


	12. Update 12-4-17

Hey all!

I'm going to be going on a temporary break from this story. I've hit a super major roadblock; I have a vision of where I want the plot to go, but I haven't set it up right at all. I know that I've been talking about chunking the story out first before editing, but this is too big of a problem for me to ignore anymore. If I proceed forward before the edits, I feel as though I'm going to ruin the last half of the story because of poor execution and build-up in the first few chapters. I want to do this right for all of you, or get it as close to correct as possible the first time.

 **This is _not_ a work that is going onto hiatus**; I just have major revamps to work on and I wanted to keep you all in the loop.

With that being said, I'm contemplating another story but in the video game realm. I've already started planning and researching for Overwatch, FFXV, and Kingdom Hearts. I promise that this Voltron story is going to be my primary job, especially over the holiday season, but I'm just too excited about something else. Let me know what you think!

Thanks again for your support. Again, I never thought that more than a couple people would even consider reading my story, and you all have blown my mind. Please leave a review or send me a message! It helps me continue pushing out chapters for you all.


	13. Update 1-28-18

Hello all ~

It certainly has been a while. I've gotten side tracked and been quite busy with familial matters, both good and bad. On the positive side, the time has given me space to think and expand my ideas about this story, along with what errors I would like to fix.

The biggest problem I face right now is the fact that the story I have written so far has not been set up properly for the ending I want. I've also changed the ending, as the first one was too dramatic and a little too uncharacteristic of some individuals. With that being said, I've introduced entire new concepts into the story in my redrawing, and I think you'll be excited with what I have in store.

I am currently debating replacing chapters with creating an entirely new story with the modified chapters. I think it's good to keep an old work just to see how far I've come as a writer, but I will let you all know for sure when that happens. Thank you for all the new followers and likes on the story! In all honestly, I was drifting away from this story, but you all brought me back and made me seriously consider what I have here and what improvements I can make.

The next update _will_ be a new or modified chapter. My best to all of you in 2018; let's make this a good one.


	14. Final Update

Hello all!

I know some people have already noticed that I've begun a new story for the updated Limitless chapters. I've come to the decision that I will be closing this version for good, but I'll be leaving it up. I know that someday, I'll look back on this and think "what a piece of trash," but that's how we learn! Thinking about that makes me excited to see how my writing skills improve over time.

So here's to the end of this old file, and to a new story going into 2018! Thanks again for all the support, and please check out the updated Limitless story!


End file.
